Behind Darkness' Mask
by NessieGG
Summary: FINISHED! Suddenly, resulting from nothing, everything made perfect sense.
1. Love

Gundam Girl: Lookie, all, it's my fourth fic!  
  
Readers: *Cower in fear and plug their ears*  
  
GG: Okay.Well, I'm trying to work up a reputation like that of the Black Rose *bows in homage to the 1xR goddess* She rules!!! I'm going to wrap up "Borrowed Love" pretty soon I think. This was one of those stories that won't leave you alone until you write it/post it. That means "Once A Hero" won't be appearing until "Borrowed Love" is finished.  
  
Kiki Tigerclaw: *taps her on the shoulder* Time to move on now, girl.  
  
GG: Oh yeah, right.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own ANYTHING. I don't even own the original character, Sarah Tanacky. She belongs to.my muse?!?! That's right, the genius behind the genius is no other than Kiki Tigerclaw. Thanx for the chara, KT, you're my girl!  
  
*~Behind Darkness' Mask~*  
  
It was nearly unbelievable. As though in some strange fantasy. But it never occurred to him that it would take him ten years to figure it out; the moron. Was he that blind? It certainly seemed so. Ten years. Ten. The number after nine and before eleven. Ten years!  
  
Great job, Yuy.  
  
At least he was better now. Ten years ago, he had been nothing; a waste of human life, never knowing anything but the battle, never feeling anything but the blood. The "Perfect Soldier" wasn't expected to, didn't have a need to.  
  
But she had made him think otherwise. She was a strength that he'd though he'd never need. She was hope that had pulled him through death. He lived for her, he fought got her.  
  
He loved her and only her. He'd left many pretty girls behind for her. But she didn't know, would never know.until today. Even now, as he made his way through the maze of corridors in the Peacecraft palace, his heart pounded, feeling and knowing more than it ever had, that he loved her.  
  
He lifted his hand to rap on the polished oak door. At three crisp knocks, a soft voice called for her to come in.  
  
As he stepped inside, he was hit with the familiar scent of lemon and rosemary. Her perfume, he recalled, and inhaled slightly.  
  
The figure sat behind a cherry-wood desk wearing a pale pink, spring dress, golden hair falling in a curling, silk curtain around her shoulders. She glanced up and dazzling blue eyes fluttered in surprise.  
  
"Heero," her musical voice murmured. He wished that voice said nothing but his name (oh, he was selfish).  
  
"Relena," he returned. He was losing himself to those eyes, They belonged there, the windows to the soul that held him captive. Escape from them wasn't possible.  
  
He watched as her lips tipped upward, smiling at him. She walked around the desk to stand in front of him. "This is a surprise. It's been a long time." She held out a hand and let his devour it. "But it's good to see you again."  
  
She couldn't know what those words meant to him. "And you."  
  
Her smile widened, but her head tilted in wonder as he shifted nervously. "Are you all right?"  
  
"Yeah." He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Ya got a minute?" He then added, "Better yet, an hour?"  
  
She turned to the cluttered desk and sighed. "I have this paperwork that'll take some time."  
  
"Come out for an hour," he coaxed.  
  
"Forgive me, but can't-"  
  
"No, I'm sorry. It can't wait." His blue eyes pleaded for him.  
  
She looked at him, skeptically at first, then in consent. "Fine, I'll come. But I don't think it'll take an hour."  
  
He smirked; she thought a lot. "But it will."  
  
They walked behind the palace to the gardens, away from the paperwork, but even further away from her brother, who one part of him was always wary of.  
  
Relena sat down on the grass next to a small pond, dress spread out elegantly below her. She gazed up at him. "Now Heero, what is it you wanted?"  
  
Nervous again (and it was different handling it, this feeling of scattered emotions), he sat beside her, straightening the sleeves of the gray cotton shirt, and dropped his hands in the lap of blue jeans, slightly faded but clean. "I have.a confession to make, Relena."  
  
Relena grinned jokingly. "Don't worry. I already know that my real name is Relena Peacecraft." (A/N: Episode 5, Minister Darlian said the same thing.)  
  
He tried to at least snort in humor but instead ran his fingers through his hair. Heero mentally cursed. He'd spent weeks working on this speech, but his mind had chosen this particular moment to go out of focus. He'd have to, in the words of Sally, wing it. "Relena, I should've been able to admit this years ago. But the truth is I." Oh no. Wait, Hilde had worked with him on the "L" word. He could do this. "I care about you a lot." Blast. Failed.  
  
Relena's smile was warm. "I've always known that, Heero."  
  
"No, I." The former Gundam pilot took a deep breath. "I care about you more than anyone, Relena. I'm in love with you. I love you."  
  
The silence that fell upon them was anything but easy. After what seemed like an eternity, a sound came. A humored, good-natured laugh. Heero's eyes darted to hers, but they were on the ground as she chortled.  
  
"Now, really, Heero," she gasped out, "was it Duo that put you up to this? What kind of bet WAS it that you lost?!"  
  
He was hurt, deeply cut. "You think I'm joking?" he asked in a strangled voice.  
  
She turned mirth-filled eyes to his, but the laughter died instantly. "Heero," she said. "You mean.you're serious?"  
  
"It's the one thing in my life that I've ever been completely sure about." He stood up and turned. "But maybe even that's changed."  
  
The princess stood quickly too. "Heero, I honestly has no idea. I'll admit it, I'm flattered you think you're in love with me."  
  
"Think?" he repeated incredulously.  
  
"Or know," Relena sighed. "Heero, I-"  
  
"They all told me you were in love with me, too," Heero told her quietly. "They all thought so. The way you've always acted towards me, I thought the same."  
  
"I was interested by you," Relena thought pleadingly. "Sure, I followed you to see if you could give me some support. And I believed in you because you're my friend. And the kiss when you rescued me from the remnants of the White Fang(1)? I thought it was symbolic. I'm sorry, but you deserve the truth. I've never loved you." The young woman caught his elbow. "We're still friends, right? Oh, don't let us be ruined, Heero, please."  
  
Heero pulled out of her hold, aching. "Of course not," he told her grimly. "There was never an 'us' to ruin, was there?" Not looking at her again, he vaulted over the garden wall, leaving behind a very torn Relena.  
  
**************************************************  
  
1. The kiss Relena was referring to took place in "Blind Target," the manga/radio drama which is a popular sequel to the series. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend doing so. You can read it by going to www.episodezero.cjb.net (along with Ground Zero and the Episode Zeros, wonderful site) by going to the Blind Target link. Translated pictures are featured there.  
  
I hope you're interested by this fic. I'm as thrilled with the idea as I was with my others. Sorry it was short, other chaps will be longer. Please review for me. If you guys like this, and I get good reviews, I'll continue this. I want to know what you think. Thanx!!! 


	2. Years

Author's notes: Hey, Heero/Relena fans! It's been WAY too long since I've updated anything. "Can You Love Me?" has only three reviews for chapter 12. I was hoping to get the last chapter in a long time ago.  
  
People are asking about other fics. "I'll end up putting up "Sea of Emotion" next. "Once a Hero," I find, needs a TON of editing.  
  
Black Rose, paly, I want to apologize. First off, I AM deviating from the script, (but so do you in "Missing By A Mile,") and 'Bob' will not be making an appearance in this fic. Gomen!  
  
All right, enough rambling. See ya'll at the end of the chapter!  
  
Disclaimer: Not mine.none of it.you people are evil, because I can't even PRETEND they're mine! *cheers* But I do own this! *headlocks Shenron*  
  
Shenron: STOP IT!!! How many times do I have to tell you not to make yourself overpower me in your A/N's?  
  
GG: MWAHAHAHA!!! (He and I are great together, really. ^_^;)  
  
*~Behind Darkness' Mask~*  
  
His heart no longer beat at the quick pace it had in her presence. Now he was alone, without her, and in fact, it seemed he had no heart at all, except for those little shattered pieces that had gathered at her feet in the garden.  
  
Why had he been so. . .so. . .trusting? That was never what Dr. J told him to do. He wasn't supposed to trust anyone. Not even his so-called "friends."  
  
Now, he was being foolish blaming them for his unsuccessful attempt to prove his love to her. But he needed to go. He needed to ask questions.  
  
No, it was lost. Everything was over. But he had promised Quatre, and so he made his way in his red Lambrigini toward the Winner Estate.  
  
When he pulled into the long drive, there were men in light blue suits (Fed Ex, maybe) scurrying in and out of the house. In the doorway stood Quatre Raberba Winner.  
  
"Now please mind the woman inside with the snacks," the blond Arab said to them. "She's moody right now."  
  
Heero glanced at him through his sunglasses. It took him a moment, but Quatre's face burst into a smile when he saw him.  
  
"Heero!" he exclaimed. "Hi! Where's Relena? I would have thought she'd be with you. . ."  
  
"I," Heero began, and was cut off.  
  
"Oh, it doesn't matter," Quatre rushed on cheerfully. "Come inside, Sarah's in there, and Duo and Hilde are here."  
  
Heero felt his stomach drop. No way in heck. Duo was so not getting the news this early. But before he could protest, Quatre had ushered him inside and into the living room where Duo and Hilde were lazily drawn across the couch while a pregnant Sarah sat in an armchair with a small bag of potato chips.  
  
"'Sup!?" Duo asked the moment Quatre had announced, "Look who's here?" "How'd it go, pal? Where's Rellie-girl?"  
  
Hilde grinned. "It's great that you two are finally gonna get together."  
  
Sarah paused, her hand half-way into the bag. She was the first to notice Heero's gaze, the other three too jovial to find the feeling lay stretched out before him. "What's the matter, Heero?" the brunette woman asked. Her aqua eyes shimmered expectantly.  
  
Heero watched her for a moment, seeking understanding, but he felt he'd have to say the words aloud. "She. . .said no."  
  
The chatter stopped abruptly, and Duo's eyes bugged in realization.  
  
"No?" he echoed. "How could she say no?"  
  
"I mean she said no," Heero told him flatly, his hands bunching in the depths of his pockets. "She doesn't love me."  
  
Hilde stared. Even though she'd known Heero for nearly eight years now, this was not him. The Heero Yuy she'd promised was loved by the Vice Foreign Minister had never looked so.defeated. "Heero," she said softly, ". . . .I'm sorry."  
  
He turned to Quatre. "You wanted to know how it goes. Well, that's how it went. Bye." As he turned to leave, Sarah stood as fast as she could being eight months pregnant.  
  
"Wait!" she called. "Heero, stop. This isn't over. She could surely-"  
  
"Surely." He snorted. "It's so cheap, being sure. You were all sure, after all."  
  
Sarah's arms fell to her sides as Quatre said, "But you love her."  
  
Heero did pause at that. "Yes, I do."  
  
"So you're giving up?!" Hilde cried.  
  
"I don't see any other options."  
  
"Like hell you don't!" Duo scolded him. "Give it a rest pal. For ten years, TEN YEARS, you've tried to pull this jack on me. I'm not gonna let you be a stupid fool anymore, Heero. When you're in love, you go with what you choose to believe in. And you believe in Relena's love!"  
  
Heero turned to look at him. "It's not. . . " He hesitated. "It can't be this way anymore, Duo. It'll go away."  
  
"That's a lie!" Duo shouted furiously. "You've always said to everyone -to Trowa, to Zechs, to me when I was too afraid to propose to Hilde - to always act on your emotions. Well, now Heero, you're going against your own advice. Because you're RUNNING from your emotions!"  
  
The fists still in Heero's pockets trembled. "And why shouldn't I?!" he shouted back. "It was definite you loved him!" he spoke to Hilde. "She told you so before you even considered proposing, Duo!"  
  
"Yeah, but I was afraid. And now you're afraid, and you run! You run from your desires! You've never desired anything for yourself when you're the most deserving!" He voice softened a bit. "And when what you desire is Relena, you decide to give up with a single rejection."  
  
He looked away.  
  
"Heero," Sarah said softly. "Let us try to help. We. . .or at least I, can help you figure something out. We don't want you to end up like this, lonely."  
  
For moment, he could've sworn the devil was grinning gleefully at him. "Do you know what she did?" he asked softly. "No, you couldn't know, but. . . She laughed at me, at the thought that I could be in love with her. She thought me a fool, as though I was some animal incapable of true human emotion. She didn't say these things, but God help us, I could tell she'd been thinking that since she met me. And since I met her. . . " He looked at Duo. "You're right. I have desired her." This time he met Sarah's eyes.  
  
"What can you do?"  
  
***  
  
"This is rather ridiculous."  
  
Pagan watched the young woman pace the carpet for the twentieth time. "Personally, I see nothing wrong in attending, Miss Relena."  
  
"I see everything wrong," she replied nervously. "Normally, I'd be delighted, but 'he'll' be there. Pagan," she turned toward him, "I don't love him."  
  
He'd heard that five times within the span of fifteen minutes when he'd delivered Mrs. Winner's invitation into her hands. "It's just a ball, Relena. Better yet, a masque. If Master Yuy is in attendance -which is highly doubtful, Miss, as tenacious as he is- he won't recognize you."  
  
Relena looked at him, dread eating at her as the truth of the words hit her. "Yes, but I'm not a masque person. I've nothing to go as. I'm not really a mysterious woman."  
  
"Who said you had to be?" He smiled. "You wear a nice dress, find a mask, and wear them. It's simple."  
  
She looked again at the letter in her hands and blinked. "There's something in here." she muttered, pulling out a second piece of paper. Her eyebrows arched. "Costume suggestion from Sarah." A small smile appeared. "It's a lovely idea, really. I just don't know if-"  
  
"Miss Relena, go," Pagan said encouragingly. "If you really want to leave, place a call, and I will come to get you as soon as you like."  
  
She sighed, defeated. He was lucky to know exactly what to do. "All right," she surrendered. "This might even help me get over the events of this morning." And Relena turned towards the stairs to prepare her costume for the following evening.  
  
***********************************  
  
GG: Bleh, short chapters. Darn, well, chapter three will be much longer, and you can expect more excitement to happen, trust me. For the Black Rose, I hope she isn't too mad at me for the whole "happily ever after thing."  
  
Love to all! REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	3. Masquerade

GG: For once, I don't have much to say! *hears gasps* Ha, ha, hardy, har, har. You guys are SOOOOO funny.  
  
Dedication: Yes, this is dedicated to Maxine and the Black Rose, blah, blah, blah. And also, I am adding Sabersonic to my list of faves. He's a great guy, really, and he's one of my MALE faithful. His fics are awesome, too. 1xR freak (like the rest of us) is Sabersonic, and he puts them together so well. I especially love "Yuy's War." Huzzah!  
  
KT: *coughs, pokes her* As much as we would love to listen to you rant about the coolness of some guy that is NOT your boyfriend, Shenron, we need the accursed disclaimer so that we can read the next chapter.  
  
GG: *throttles her* Nobody loves me. . .  
  
Disclaimer: Check the expired date on the side of your milk carton. . . Great, see how old that is? THAT'S exactly how long I have not owned Gundam Wing. Now, think about the future. . . What is in your hopes? Well, so much for MINE, 'cause I'm never gonna own that show!!!!!!!! *cries*  
  
*~Behind Darkness' Mask~*  
  
"You can't be serious."  
  
"Ooh, I hope so. That suits you so well."  
  
"Hold still, Heero! It's hard enough simply walking with a baby in my stomach. I don't feel like chasing you around the room."  
  
Slowing, Heero sighed in defeat and kept where he was. "I have no idea what is in that head of yours, Sarah, but I doubt that I like it."  
  
Sarah grinned mischievously. "Quatre always did."  
  
"May I remind you," Quatre retorted, leaning against the doorjamb of their bedroom, "that YOU were the only woman teacher at that academy on L4, and sexier than any of your female students."  
  
Sarah flipped her lovely hair over her shoulder. "Well, it's not my fault that the ESUN assigned you to check out the Preventer Academy in your own colony sector."  
  
Quatre winked. "That's true, but it was your fault that I fell in love."  
  
"Hey," Hilde piped up. She had commented on Heero's attractive attire. "What are you two doing on Earth, anyway? You came last week, but I thought you were still hung up in space, Quat."  
  
Quatre nodded, golden hair waving slightly. "That's what happened at first, but since the baby's coming next month, I thought it would be better to have it be born where there's natural sunlight and an unlimited supply of oxygen."  
  
"Good enough for me." Duo stretched his arms over his head and grinned. "Uh, by the way, Sarah. You may need something for Heero - sedatives would be best, I think. He looks like he's gonna keel over."  
  
Sarah turned around to inspect her "masterpiece." She smirked in satisfaction. "Heero, you're stunning."  
  
Heero shot her a slightly pained expression. "This is ridiculous."  
  
"Not for a masque," Quatre told him.  
  
The former pilot of Wing was dressed head to do in a shimmering black cotton. The pants fit loosely on him, to Yuy's relief, though the black long-sleeved T-shirt clung in order to not hide the muscles bulging from his arms, though that was partially hidden by a long, silk black cape that hung around his shoulder and clasped just below his neck. His hair was concealed mostly by a dark top hat he had borrowed from Quatre. On his feet he wore black leather shoes, snazzy-looking but comfortable enough to dance in (though Sarah didn't tell him this), and to finish off the efficient disguise, he had been given a spare pair of dark brown contacts that Sarah had used in her undercover days for Preventers.  
  
Hilde clapped and let out a low whistle. "Hey, Sarah, do you think we can bid him off?"  
  
"Traitor!" Duo exclaimed.  
  
Hilde only laughed and held him to her. "Naw, you're so much cuter, dear."  
  
Biting his lip, "He took my trademark color," Maxwell grumbled.  
  
Heero approached the full-length mirror on the wall, and grunted. "I'm missing something," he said simply.  
  
"I know," Sarah nodded. "I'll make your mask tonight while I put together my own costume. Just leave all that hear, and stop by an hour or so early tomorrow night. We'll help you get ready and I can put your mask on correctly."  
  
"Roger that."  
  
Duo frowned. "Don't let this shake you, Heero. Nothing is ever going to make you fight again, so go ahead and drop the blasted Perfect Soldier act."  
  
Heero shrugged and headed to the bathroom to change back into his other clothes.  
  
"That's it, then." Sarah dusted off her hands. "It is nine," she said, looking at the clock. She pressed a hand to her stomach. "I'm hungry."  
  
Duo and Hilde laughed. "I can imagine. Later, I don't wanna be here to see Quatre fret about your food, Sarah," Mrs. Maxwell reported, and the married couple quickly took off.  
  
"I'm leaving too," Heero said, reappearing and handing his clothes to Quatre.  
  
"Rest up, my friend," Quatre said, giving him a small pat on the back.  
  
"Yeah." Before exiting, he paused and turned back. "Hey, Sarah. You didn't invite. . .all of the Gundam pilots. . .did you?"  
  
Sarah blinked. "Yeah, and they both called to say they were coming a little while ago. Wufei and Trowa I mean."  
  
Heero refrained from grimacing. "So they're both gonna be there? Wufei and Trowa?"  
  
"That would be the case," the former instructor said cautiously. "Why?"  
  
Heero scowled and cursed. "Good night." He ran out for the door.  
  
Sarah looked at her husband, puzzled. "Quatre?"  
  
"It's okay, dear," he said, pulling her into his arms. "He, Wufei, and Trowa share a kind of. . .understanding."  
  
"Understanding?" Sarah repeated bluntly. "Do they?"  
  
"Yeah. . .kind of. . ."  
  
"Quatre Raberba Winner, husband of mine, and representative of L6. What does 'understanding,'" she accentuated the word with a touch of warning, "mean?"  
  
The Arabic man gulped. "Uh. . .they always laugh at each other if one of them goofs up and they rarely allow the other to live it down?"  
  
"And that would include Heero failing to lasso Relena?" Sarah inquired.  
  
Quatre nodded, pale.  
  
"Hm. . ." Her eyes blazed as she stepped out, he at her heels. "We'll see about that."  
  
The pilot of Sandrock followed her into the kitchen. Crap, she was SCARY when she was devious.  
  
Trowa and Wufei were going to be cruel.  
  
***  
  
Noin walked into Relena's room and saw her shadow bouncing off the open door of her walk-in closet. "Relena?"  
  
"Yeah?" she called, her voice muffled from the depths of her wardrobe.  
  
"That was Sarah on the phone. Are you going to her masque, dear?"  
  
"Uh. . .kinda."  
  
Kinda. Noin rolled her eyes and walked into the closet to see her looking over her more elegant gowns. "Yes, no, maybe so?"  
  
"I'm going with the maybe," Relena told her, frowning. "I can't seem to find anything to wear to that blasted thing."  
  
Noin chuckled. "That is an age-old saying, Relena Peacecraft, especially with all that you have in this forest you call a closet."  
  
A small smile tugged at her lips. "Perhaps, but it won't fit what I'm going as."  
  
"Oh?" She looked over the paper Relena handed her and smiled at Sarah's quick sketch of a costume idea. "Cute. Well, let's go then," she said, grabbing her sister-in-law's wrist with and pulling her into the hall.  
  
"Go?" Relena repeated dumbly. Noin smiled at her.  
  
"Yes, go. We have to go shopping for something as exquisite as this. I need a costume, too." She waved to Zechs as they passed their bedroom. "We'll be out," she called. "I'll have my cell phone."  
  
Zechs frowned at her, platinum hair framing his scowl. "You just want to spend my money."  
  
Noin shot him a seductive grin. "Be a good boy, hon, and do what I asked you."  
  
Relena looked questioningly at her as they climbed into her Taurus. (A/N: Heh, Taurus, get it? Taurus Mobile Suit, Taurus Car? Eh heh, I know I'm not but I TRY to be funny!)  
  
"What did you ask him to do?"  
  
Noin gave her a sly look. "Oh, don't worry. You'll see." Cackling, she drove onto the highway in the direction of New Port's largest shopping mall.  
  
***  
  
"You are so scary sometimes, that you frighten even me," Catherine called to her brother from her room in their trailer. "That costume is freaky."  
  
Trowa shrugged, leaning back in the recliner to watch the Spaniard repeat - once again - his threat to the man with six fingers on his right hand. "Like yours is much better," he replied tersely.  
  
"You need a girlfriend."  
  
He snorted. "Remember why I said I needed you out Thursday night?"  
  
Catherine folded her arms and sat down in her armchair next to him. "Pardon me for saying, but Krystal isn't a girlfriend. She's your personal teddy bear." She pressed a thoughtful finger to her cheek. "Though I've never seen anyone do things to a teddy bear like you do to Kystal. . .or Rachel. . .or Carla. . ."  
  
"I see your point," Trowa noted. "But I prefer to be single."  
  
"As long as your bed stays warm." She grinned, and then sighed. "Oh, dear. It's like only yesterday you came back wandering around in the rain with that loose screw in your head. Now my little brother still has that loose screw, but he's beginning to do things with it."  
  
Trowa shot her a glance as Humperdink was tied up by Buttercup. The name of the prince was too suggestive for him at the moment and flipped the channel over "The Real World In Chicago." Standing, "I'm going to bed," he said simply.  
  
"Without someone in it?" Catherine said with, mocking surprise. "My, my, my."  
  
"Good night." He slammed the door behind him.  
  
***  
  
"GOOD MORNING, SANK KINGDOM!!!"  
  
Heero's eyes shot open, and he instinctively reached for the gun on his bedside table. Some had dared to enter his apartment uninvited.  
  
He silently pulled on a pair of jeans and crept out of his bedroom. What he found on the couch was worse than an idiot who had broken in.  
  
It was a Duo Maxwell watching the early morning news on his couch with the volume on full blast.  
  
"'Morning, Heero," he called over the noise.  
  
Grabbing the remote control, he turned the TV to mute. "What the heck are you doing in here?" he demanded, his voice spouting hot coals.  
  
Duo stretched his arms over his head and stood, his features lighted by the glow of the program. "Oh, ya know, just came by to drop off Sarah's lovely mask." He tossed a piece of cloth at him. Heero snatched at it and caught it with one hand. "Great, try it on."  
  
Heero walked to a small table with a mirror attached that stood in his hall near the door. Pressing the mask to his face, he tied it in the back and nodded. "Tell Sarah it fits."  
  
"You have to come over later," Duo reminded him. "Just bring your mask and that's it."  
  
He shook his head up and down in response as his friend made it way to the door.  
  
"See you later, loveless."  
  
Heero frowned at the unintentional insult. Loveless? He wouldn't admit it, but that had hit the mark. Hopefully this charade of a game would work. . . that she would fall for him.  
  
He ran a hand through his hair. "Relena. . ."  
  
***  
  
"It's five," Sarah complained later that day. "Where is he? I only have an hour."  
  
Hilde laughed. "Didn't know you had a personal live doll." She shrugged. "I'll be in a guest room changing and helping Duo. Call out if you need us."  
  
"'Kay." Once she left, she frowned. "Heero," she growled to the absent man, "where ARE-"  
  
Suddenly Heero stumbled it, mask in a tight fist. He returned the glare she gave him. "I didn't feel like driving," he said. "Taxi."  
  
"Sure, Heero," Quatre laughed, "blame the taxi driver."  
  
Sarah threw her hands up in an obvious declaration of men's stupidity. She grabbed Heero's collar and lugged him to the bathroom. "Come on, lover boy, I still have to get myself ready. Quat, go on ahead."  
  
"Yes, oh wife." He hastily, though obedient nonetheless, exited.  
  
Turning, and apparently in a better mood, Sarah grinned. "All right. Let the games begin."  
  
Heero inwardly gulped.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Quatre stood by the door as guests began to arrive. He'd been given a list of assumed names. It was like Halloween; no one was who they were:  
  
Zeus, Aphrodite, Chon Wang, Witch, Boss, Ditz, Bell, Beast, Esmerelda, Ken, Prince, Gorgeous.  
  
Following that was nothing but a bunch of aristocrats and politicians that had been idly added to the list. The final name of his immediate friends puzzled him, but Quatre was quickly informed as his wife, now dressed in a glorious maternity costume of the fictional gypsy from Victor Hugo's novel, explained.  
  
"Trust me," she said, "once you see her, you'll know who it is."  
  
Or. . .relatively explained.  
  
Hilde and Duo soon entered, Duo in a fabulous football uniform, helmet and all, with Hilde at his side dressed as a cheerleader.  
  
"Let me guess," Quatre grinned, "Boss and Ditz."  
  
"That'd be us." Hilde smiled and grabbed her husband's hand. "Let's dance."  
  
Sally and Wufei were easy to figure out. Sally was Witch, dressed as the Wicked Witch of the West. Wufei was dressed as Jackie Chan in "Shanghai Noon," Chong Wang.(1)  
  
When Trowa and Catherine arrived, Quatre merely stared. They'd gone all out, with the help of the circus's costume designer, to be the main characters from Disney's Broadway production of "Beauty and the Beast." Trowa was especially funny in fur from head to foot.  
  
"What'd you do?" Duo asked. "Kill one of your lions?"  
  
Trowa glared. "I'd kill you first."  
  
Catherine winked. "It's true. He loves his lions. Feeds them diligently every single day."  
  
After a half-an-hour, people began to wonder about the others. "Heero stopped at his apartment first," Duo responded. "Said he needed to do something." However, no one could answer for Noin and Zechs, and especially not for whom the ball was planned for in the first place.  
  
It wasn't long though, that Zechs and Noin arrived. Zechs, dressed in a real toga and golden braided belt, his platinum hair fluffed correctly, he looked every bit the king of gods described in Greek mythology - he also proved to be an obedient husband as he'd dressed up for at his wife's request. Noin was dressed in a tighter, pink toga and had put on a frizzed, blonde wig, the Goddess of Love, Aphrodite.  
  
"Where is Relena?" Sarah asked impatiently.  
  
"Nerves," Noin told her. "Don't worry, she's on her way."  
  
Zechs jumped in with, "Yuy's not here, is he?" There was a dark tone to her voice.  
  
Sarah efficiently hid a smile. "No, does it look like he is? Heero's not going to be here." It was the truth. Heero would NEVER go to a masque.  
  
But the Prince of Darkness would do anything to be loved by the one person he cared for the most.  
  
Duo met with Heero in the back entrance. "Where've you been, buddy?" he interrogated. "Never mind, forget it. Hurry up and let Sarah know you're here though. You lucky freak, Lena hasn't come yet."  
  
Sighing and ignoring his endless chatter, Heero crossed the ballroom and spoke with Sarah momentarily before Quatre swept her away. With nothing to do but wait for the Sank Kingdom's princess, he took up his customary position against a dark corner.  
  
He felt her presence before he saw it. Looking up at the massive staircase, he saw a slight, slender woman hand her shawl to a passing servant to hang it up for her. Her face, though concealed by the mask she'd donned, was still as gentle as ever, and she gracefully made her way down the stairs.  
  
She wore a gown; new by the tight fit of its bodice against her waist and chest. Though it fell off her shoulders, her arms were almost invisible, covered by the long white gloves that ran up just past her elbows. The skirt billowed from the waist down, and though you couldn't see them, there was still the fact that there was a great pair of legs striding across the floor and heels that clicked off the tile. Her hair, those wonderful golden tresses, has been piled up onto her head and bobby-pinned in place, a golden crown accentuating it, while the golden glitter scattered among the strands glinted beneath the chandelier light from both her head and her cheeks that were flushed from the body heat of the room, partially concealed by lovely tendrils falling in her face.  
  
However, this wasn't the best thing about the costume designed in Sarah's ingenious mind. At her back was a pair of paper, translucent wings.  
  
The first thought that came to Heero's mind was fairy, but that word was instantly replaced with angel.  
  
"Let me guess," Quatre said, spotting her. "Gorgeous."  
  
Sarah nodded, smile in place. "Or maybe drop-dead sexy, by the look on Yuy's face."  
  
"She shouldn't have worn that," Zechs muttered, dancing with Noin. "There is definitely too much chest."  
  
"No, that's fine," Noin said appreciatively. "Not enough led in my opinion. We can't even see her thighs."  
  
Zechs glared, and she laughed. "You obviously have no complaint on my costume," she joked, gesturing to the high riding slit on her toga. He only sighed.  
  
"Not really, no."  
  
She sat down, he could see from the distance, and unbeknownst to him she was debating calling Pagan right then. Relena folded her hands delicately in her lap. He found himself wincing and thinking how comfortable that secluded corner was. He moved further back. . .  
  
"Oh, no you don't," Sarah hissed dangerously, and pushed him forward. "I've worked too hard for you to back out now."  
  
Heero half-stumbled out of the shadows, and took a deep breath. He was going to have to talk to her.  
  
Crap.  
  
Gulping, he began to toward her.  
  
***  
  
Relena sighed. This was odd. Every other one of her friends had come with a dancing partner. Even Trowa and Catherine were together so they wouldn't have to head off with a politician. And she REALLY did not want to dance with those old men. They stepped on your feet. . .  
  
Growling in frustration, she clenched her hands in her lap. This had been a bad idea after all. She's only gotten a brief word with Sarah before she'd left for God-knew-where with Quatre. This was going to be awkward, calling home only after ten minutes into the party.  
  
The bright lights of candles and crystal chandeliers were suddenly shadowed as a tall man loomed over her seated form. Underneath the bottom edge of his black mask, the man in the top hat smirked slightly.  
  
"May I have this dance?"  
  
Relena eyed him with a distrusting gaze. True, it was a masque, but a man dressed in black had assassinated the king of Denmark at a ball. Perhaps. . .  
  
No, that was silly, she was being paranoid. Still, Wufei and Miliardo had taught her never to take any stranger lightly. He was thoroughly enjoying himself.  
  
"Excuse me, miss, I didn't catch your reply."  
  
She hadn't formed one, but then she realized it was only common politeness to press forth the answer in such a dignified manner. "I'm not too sure," she murmured quietly. "May I at least ask your name?"  
  
"How can you ask for one, madam, when you aren't the first to offer?"  
  
She crossed her arms, unrelenting. "Each person deserved to know what creature they come into contact with - especially if that creature wishes to be their dancing partner." The figure visibly sighed.  
  
"If you need to know, I am a creature a land where no light reached me. I unfortunately rule that land. The Prince of Darkness."  
  
She looked at him warily. "The Prince of Darkness? I'm sorry, I've learned not to trust dark things. . ."  
  
The tall man held out a seemingly friendly hand. "Shouldn't light be shed on the darkness?"  
  
Relena couldn't resist a smile between her cream-colored mask. What harm could there possibly be? And after all, she wasn't the Vice Foreign Minister tonight. No, she was the Princess of Light. Might as well loosen up. That phone call could always wait.  
  
Standing, she took his hand. "Then I accept your offer, sir, for I am the Princess of Light and I will do what I can to relieve you of your black chains."  
  
She grinned, very into the game now as he led her to the floor, his grip on her hand comfortably loose, but hard enough to hold her correctly.  
  
She was going to be a lot of fun, she decided.  
  
***  
  
Heero cold hear his heart pounding in his ears - red alarms went off in his head, signaling danger. No one had described this to him. He felt dread in his stomach, as though something would go wrong. But as she as she set her hand into his palm and the other on his shoulder, all he knew was her.  
  
He swung her around the other couples gracefully, past Duo and Hilde, and then Wufei and Sally. He kept well away from Zechs and Noin as the mythical man would slit his throat if he knew what he was doing. It pained him to know that the entire time he'd been protecting her from him was so that SHE didn't hurt HIM, though he had always claimed it to be the other way around. Zechs had failed his mission.  
  
However, it was to Sarah he owed gratitude, otherwise he wouldn't be holding the princess in his grasp right now. The moderate dance ended and was quickly replaced by a gavotte - a waltz too spirited for talk as a succession of leading partners snatched her from him before she was finally returned to his arms so that he could whirl her around another time before the music changed to a slow sarabande. Nervously, he pulled her closer.  
  
Relena recognized the dance and willingly moved toward him. He was a nice dancer, she noted, this. . .Prince. She grinned to herself. Someone dress him over golden steel over those muscles and you have a knight in shining armor.  
  
His skin was warm. Well, she couldn't really blame him as he wore those thick black clothes. She smiled up into his brown eyes before closing her own blue ones and resting her head against his chest. He smelled nice. . .  
  
Sarah sighed from Quatre's arms. "Too cute," she whispered as thought she was afraid they'd hear her.  
  
"I agree," Quatre replied. "They always looked nice together. I was positive it would work out. . ."  
  
"We all did," she interrupted, "it wasn't just you." Softly she pecked his cheek.  
  
Heero claimed his protective hold on her waist. She was an angel after all, he decided after a minute of her closeness.  
  
God, he loved her. Why did these things have to be so complicated? He inhaled the scent of her hair. Lemon and rosemary. Just like the delicate perfume she'd sprayed herself with during the war. It was her scent, he thought, but she wasn't his.  
  
"Are you all right?"  
  
Her soft voice pulled him from his reverie and he glanced down at her questioning face. "You look stiff," she explained.  
  
"I'm fine," he assured her gruffly. "Fine. . ."  
  
A small dazed look formed on Relena's face, the light music distant in the back round. He looked wonderful in that costume, whoever he was. There was a thought:  
  
"What's your name?" she asked quietly.  
  
Heero started. She wasn't supposed to ask that, it was a masque. That was against the rules, right?  
  
"I'm. . ." His mind racked for a word before shutting down completely as his gaze had strayed to look at her lips. Why did she have to be so glorious? "I'm the. . .Prince of Darkness. . ." He exhaled shakily. That would have to do.  
  
"Relena. . ." she returned absently.  
  
He nodded, his thoughts numb and concentrating on her closing eyes. "Relena. . ."  
  
When their lips met, he felt a surge through him, and in his mind's eye, lightening struck them both. Relena's posture slackened, and he gripped her arms to keep her upright. She turning to a puddle on the floor would pull her lips from his.  
  
When they had no choice but to pull away for air, she looked on through a mist of unclear puzzles. Suddenly, her common sense cut a light through the haze. "I'm sorry," she began, her fingers raised to her lips as she stepped back slightly. "I shouldn't. . . I mean-"  
  
"It's fine," he assured her. "We've met, Relena. I'm Prince."  
  
Relena's stomach dropped. "You won't tell me you're real name, will you?"  
  
He smirked. "I know that there is a lovely woman before me who I'm about to kiss again."  
  
This time the contact was more demanding, but Relena pulled away to smile at him. "It's late," she said to him. She raised her hand to stroke his cheek and was pleased when he leaned into her touch. She didn't know the man had longed for this. "I should be going." She paused, her breath on his neck, and Heero struggled to concentrate. "I'm think I've. . ."  
  
Suddenly desperate, he pressed, "What?"  
  
She blushed a deep scarlet. "It's hard to believe." She laughed nervously. "I've fallen in love with a Prince." Relena kissed his cheek a final time before rushing toward the staircase without so much as another shy glance.  
  
Heero stood rooted to his spot on the floor. She loved. . .him? Suddenly, his features darkened once she had vanished like the magical being she was. This was wrong.  
  
It took him only five seconds to get across the large dance floor to Sarah. "It's screwed!" he exclaimed.  
  
Sarah's eyes widened as Duo and Hilde joined them. To avoid attention, they all sat down at a table.  
  
"What is?" Mrs. Winner asked worriedly. "She dazed out and left, but that's fine. People will be going in a few minutes."  
  
"I thought the plan was to get her to love me," Heero gritted out.  
  
She looked at him warningly. "Don't you dare start with me. No, the plan was to make her understand that she can fall in love with you and like it. So. . ." she smiled wryly. "What happened?"  
  
His voice remained stoic. "She fell in love. . ."  
  
Hilde and Sarah high-fived, though Quatre and Duo stood at rapt attention.  
  
". . .with the Prince of Darkness."  
  
Sarah froze, and looked at the table as thought it was speaking. "Oh. . .damn."  
  
Hilde's eyes were wide. "You mean. . .you didn't tell her? You didn't let her know-"  
  
"I, I couldn't" he insisted lowly. "We were in the moment. She's be mortified, and her brother's right there. . ."  
  
Duo's mouth had formed a round O. "Jesus, almighty." He crossed himself. "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, witch I hope includes the angry man NOT physically harming anyone but Zechs. . ."  
  
He was ignored. "This is fine," Quatre said. "All you have to do is drop by her house and explain the whole thing. . ."  
  
"Oh, that's right." He nodded solidly. "I'll go over there and say, 'Oh, hey, Relena. I just have one thing to say. No, no, don't speak, I already know you don't love ME. You love that idiotic costume I wore to Sarah's ball tonight!'"  
  
Sarah's bottom lip protruded. "I thought it was a cool costume. . ." She caught the icy glare and corrected herself with, "I mean, no. . . I mean, tell her it was a mistake. . .tell her it was my fault - wait, no, don't tell her that. I don't know!"  
  
An eerie silence filled the group. Hilde's jaw had dropped. Sarah Tanacky- Winner didn't know something. Oh, God.  
  
"The world's ending, isn't it?" She turned to her religious husband sorrowfully. "Oh, it's Armageddon!"  
  
"No, honey, I think God decided against that after seeing the movie. . ." Duo sighed. "I'm taking her home to sleep."  
  
Heero snorted and he glared.  
  
"Good night," he called over his shoulder, leading Hilde out.  
  
Sarah stood. "We have to tell everyone goodbye. Heero. . ." She hesitated. "I don't know what to say. Just. . .try to get some sleep, and remember, we can fix this."  
  
"How?"  
  
She shot him a depressed glance. This wasn't good for the baby. "I'm not sure, Heero. Just remember, if you pulled off the part of her loving the Prince of Darkness, then there's hope of her loving you."  
  
As the married couple walked away, Heero stood. Walking to the driveway that was more like a parking lot, he climbed into his car. Fortunately, it wasn't the same one he'd driven to Relena's house the day before, just in case she'd noticed it while outside or something.  
  
After the half-hour drive back to his building and the three-flight ascension to his apartment, he collapsed in the chair near the door. He could see his reflection in the table mirror he's used to try on his mask earlier that morning. Now in full get-up, he sighed. He really did hate that costume. . .  
  
Especially now, Heero thought, since she loved the image of him as the Prince of Darkness, not Heero Yuy.  
  
"Relena. . ."  
  
**************************  
  
GG: Whee! Chapter 3 is all done. NOW. . .the rules. If you want the next chapter you must agree to this contract:  
  
To the following (Shenron, GG's boyfriend, KT, GG's muse, Maxine, GG's best Net friend, and the Black Rose, who is slowly becoming the supervision for this fic as the Noodle of Death is on GG's tail):  
  
You each must write a LONG review. You must admit your true feelings about this fic, whether you find it wonderful or awful, or even "very, very lovely." You will be held responsible and punished for your actions if this is not done.  
  
I, the undersigned, hereby declare that I will sacrifice the time of my friends toward the detailed reviews of my fic.  
  
Gundam Girl (GG)  
  
P.S. Ya'll who are not chained to this contract. . .oh, you better review too, or else you will be! REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
P.P.S. Oh, yeah. . . do you remember how I said I appreciate my male readers as much as I female ones? Well, in your review, if you could just identify yourself as MALE, I would be very grateful. Thanks, GG. 


	4. Help

Notes: Wow. I feel like such a slacker, considering Rose asked me to have this chapter out in, um, OCTOBER! Obviously, that didn't happen. Sorry, Rose! But it's out now, so here it is. Also, if any of you are Maxine fans or miraculously enjoy my work, the first chapter of "Love Beyond All Fear," our joint-fic, should be out sometime at the end of April or early May. Ja!  
  
Disclaimer: In the words of Krieli, "Yes, there is one." Nor do I own Sarah Tanacky-Winner, she belongs to the great and wonderful Kiki Tigerclaw, blah, blah.  
  
*~Behind Darkness' Mask~* Chapter Four  
  
She felt like shit. Really, truly, felt like shit.  
  
It sucked, she thought as the phone rang. She didn't know anyone could possibly feel so terrible. She didn't know anyone, either, who went around dancing with guys they'd never met and couldn't see the faces of, or at least not well, and kissing him right off the bat.  
  
Or confessing love to him.  
  
Relena slapped the washcloth onto her face once more to refresh her memory. She had not fallen in love with any "prince." And she had not meant it when she had claimed to. It was an infatuation that had led her to a dangerous flirt. And she had not flirted since she was fourteen, Jesus Christ. She'd been way too forward for her liking - or her brother's for that matter.  
  
She smiled softly. His lips were magic.  
  
She rolled her eyes. Ridiculous. She was not a wanton teenager, damn it, she was a twenty-five year old Vice Foreign Minister whose, she knew, sex appeal was fine. She didn't need to be attracted, she needed to attract.  
  
Maybe Noin was right. Maybe she should have gotten a shorter skirt. She wondered what Prince would have thought of her legs. . .  
  
Sighing, "This is impossible!" she shouted and stormed into her bedroom, open robe trailing behind her. Muttering a stream of curses that would have shamed Duo, she slammed the door shut and flopped onto the bed.  
  
Pressing a pillow to her mouth to muffle the sound, she shrieked.  
  
There was a thundering of feet on the stairs, and finally Noin burst in with Zechs on her heels.  
  
"Honey, we heard a scream! Are you okay?" She was pale and a hand was pressed to her probably sprinting heart.  
  
Relena looked at them stupidly, then gave the pillow an even dumber look. Good job, she thought to the pillow, then sighed. Waving a hand, she smiled. "I'm just fine. I.was mourning over paperwork."  
  
Zechs smiled an expression very similar to hers, then looked at her organized desk, nothing touching the surface except for a pencil cup and a stack of manila envelopes carefully filled with ESUN documents.  
  
"Seems the paperwork's under control. Or is it you that's in chaos?"  
  
Relena raised an eyebrow. "A mighty personal question."  
  
"Only in protection for my mighty beautiful sister. Can we come in, or should we leave so you can scream some more and not let any of us rest?"  
  
She grinned. "The latter sounds tempting, but please, take a seat. Although I have no idea what you intend for us to discuss."  
  
"Don't use that political air with me," Zechs said lightheartedly. "I'll strike you with a lighting bolt."  
  
She nodded as the pair seated themselves on the small couch in the massive bedroom.  
  
"How are you feeling, Relena?" asked Noin. "We left early tonight - you said you weren't feeling well."  
  
Did she? Well, how could anyone be expected to feel well with such turmoil inside them? Hell, she'd be worried if she felt any better. . .like Noin looked, pale and. . .glowing?  
  
"Noin," she said quietly, "why are you so happy?"  
  
Noin's face lit up even more. "I was just coming up to tell you." Her fingers laced with Zechs's as she spoke. "The phone call was from my doctor, Relena."  
  
Zechs's eyes softened. "You're going to be an aunt in seven months, little sister."  
  
Relena blinked. "An aunt? As in, aunt of niece or nephew?"  
  
"Or both."  
  
"Say WHAT?!" exclaimed Zechs.  
  
Noin brushed a hand at his shoulder. "Hey, it's a possibility."  
  
She grinned, and Relena jumped up to kiss both of them. "You guys, that's great! How long do you want me to sign the no-press contract for? If it's anything like what happened to Sarah. . ."  
  
Zechs relaxed against the back of the couch. "My baby isn't going to have reporters lining up at our door."  
  
"Nope," Noin agreed. "But when Relena's pregnant, watch out."  
  
Zech's eyes narrowed. "Pregnant. Feh."  
  
***  
  
"I am highly convinced-" Quatre began.  
  
"That she's in love with me?" Heero guessed. Throwing up his hands, Heero stalked out of the kitchen. "Big deal. It doesn't even matter anymore, now that I've lost her to my alter-ego."  
  
Having dealt with resistance from politicians and worse, his own wife, Quatre chose the well thought-out phrase. "There is high probability that Relena loved you before you left her after the Mariemaia coup and didn't realize it. Nor does she now, as nothing has happened to her to awaken those feelings. When I met Sarah, it took both of us quite a while to truly understand our own hearts."  
  
"I don't need your sob story, Quatre."  
  
"Yes, you do," Winner objected. "Think about who I am, Heero. I can identify emotions better than anyone in this world."  
  
Though it irritated him, Heero didn't deny it. "I understand that. What I don't understand is what the hell happened last night."  
  
Quatre sighed and helped himself to more coffee. "Well, I don't really have the time to explain it to you in detail. I've a meeting on L9 in three hours. But briefly put, Relena's been longing for your love, and now that she finally has it, she'd afraid."  
  
"Of me?" he asked in what would have been an incredulous tone if he could think of how to express it.  
  
"Of course not, that's silly," he said in an unintentional you're-an-idiot tone, like he used with economic opponents. "She's just afraid of your love; what you have to offer her. Whether she's good enough for it, or if it'll hurt her. No one likes being hurt, Heero. And Relena, whose biological parents and foster father were both taken from her, has been hurt too much. Not to mention Marita Darlian's latest flare. . ."  
  
"Marita Darlian?" Heero questioned, referring to Relena's adoptive mother. "What did she do?"  
  
"You didn't hear about it? I was certain Duo had told you. . ."  
  
He would have, Heero thought, if Maxwell had known where he'd been.  
  
Quatre shrugged. "It wasn't a great time for Relena. Marita told her-" His pager beeped, and he smiled at Heero. "My shuttle takes off shortly. I'll talk to you later. Don't hesitate to ask Sarah for advice."  
  
Heero's lips drooped in a frown. "I'd rather hand."  
  
"Well." The representative shrugged on his coat and turned to the door of his friend's apartment. "That's exactly what you'll do if you don't get it together and talk to Relena again. Bye."  
  
Heero's shoulders slumped as the door shut, but he wouldn't allow himself be weak enough to sigh.  
  
It was too soon to see Relena again. She'd made it obviously clear that she didn't want to see him again, at least not for awhile - she wasn't hostile enough to hate anyone. But he didn't understand. He'd already been through the appropriate options; he had caught her at a bad time; she was reading one of those dramatic romance novels and intended to act as the heroine and play hard-to-get. . .  
  
Or she just did not love him. And as much as he hated to admit it, that was the most likely of cases. So now, there was only one thing to do. He didn't need Sarah Winner to figure that out.  
  
He simply had to help her realize her love for him.  
  
On the table by the door, "Prince's" mask caught his eyes. There would be a full moon tonight, and it would be darker outside than usual.  
  
If he was going to act, tonight would be the night to do so. Now the only question remaining was how the hell to go about it.  
  
And he wished to whatever god there was that he knew how. . .  
  
***  
  
"What, you want to break into her house?"  
  
"That isn't what I said," Heero told Catherine, bending to dip into the trailer's low doorway. "I said I wanted to get to her tonight. Without waking anyone else up."  
  
Catherine smiled as she sat in an armchair, gestured for Heero to do the same, and picked up her crocheting project. "One would see that act as breaking and entering." Unlike the other women in her colony, she had never feared the Gundam pilot notorious for millions of deaths. In fact, she was fairly certain she intimidated the one who had took Trowa back to the battlefield after he'd killed those pacifists.  
  
"Look, I'll admit that this isn't easy for me. . ."  
  
Because this confession interested her, Catherine folded her hands into her lap and smiled at him. "All right," she said patiently, waiting for him to go on.  
  
Heero glowered at her happy expression. "I've asked for your help."  
  
Bloom didn't press the issue, though she would have accepted begging, and it would speed the meeting along. However, she doubted someone as strong- willed as Heero Yuy would grovel for assistance. He'd just as soon figure it out on his own - and screw up.  
  
"Well, Heero, Relena is a politician. She won't be easily fooled by endearments or promises; she's had enough of them within the ESUN circle. You'd have to do something very personal and very persuasive to convince her of your feelings."  
  
"I could've gone to Quatre for advice like that," he spat, "and he wouldn't be so annoying."  
  
Catherine wagged a finger in warning. "Be polite, Mr. Yuy. I've got knives I could be practicing with. I would like the target to be your rude tongue."  
  
Heero slumped in the armchair, and the door clacked open.  
  
"Oh, Trowa, you're back early. How's Deirdra?"  
  
Trowa shot her a slanted look. "Made off with some chump from L5. Why are you sitting with Yuy?"  
  
Heero, who was naturally not offended by such greetings, nodded in his direction. "Trowa."  
  
"You're just the person I was hoping to see," Catherine said.  
  
"Delighted," replied Trowa, flopping down on the couch. "What's wrong, Catherine?"  
  
Smug, Catherine crossed her legs and smirked. "It's not me. Heero's having trouble with Relena."  
  
Trowa gave a small smile of his own. "So I've heard. Couldn't make the cut, eh, Yuy? I'd be happy to try my hand at her."  
  
A low growl erupted from 01's throat. "I'll quite efficiently-" He continued to tell Trowa how efficiently he would perform an act too terrible to be spoken of in this fic.  
  
Trowa's brows arched. "Very well." He stood. "I'll get you a beer, and we'll try to detangle you from this mess by six. I know your current plan already. Quatre is no stranger to informing others of one's train of thought. You're not a mystery when it comes to Peacecraft, Heero."  
  
Thinking he would choke the blond snitch, Heero shook his head and stopped him. "No beer," he said.  
  
When Trowa turned back, he saw the odd glow in Heero's eyes. There was more to his love than what he had spoken of, and Trowa had seen the animalistic gaze of a man in his own eyes many times.  
  
"Just tell me how to get her."  
  
********************************  
  
Gundam Girl: Well, it seems I'm only 39 lashes - courtesy of the Noodle Of Death - from being crucified.  
  
Rose: Oh my God, think it took you long enough? You haven't updated since September! And I recall challenging you to have this out by October. *points at nifty calendar* T'would be APRIL!  
  
Noodle: WAPISH!  
  
GG: Yipes! Well, I got it out, didn't I? I WAS going to post chapter three of Sea of Emotion first. . .  
  
Rose: *Yuy glare, holds up Noodle* Thou shalt not taunt the Black Rose!  
  
GG: *rolls eyes* Yeah, yeah, whatever. Get out of my author's notes. *drops Rose down a toon hole like in Who Stole Roger Rabbit* Sayonara!  
  
Maxine and Kiki Tigerclaw: -_-; We can't control her. . .forgive us.  
  
REVIEW!!!!!! Please? 


	5. Mission

GG: In the last chapter, someone reviewed saying that I should make Trowa hook up with Relena and let Heero go wander off somewhere.  
  
No. Way.  
  
Let thee hear! This is a 1xR fic! If you hate that pairing, I suggest you leave. Trowa will not be getting anything romantic off Relena anytime soon in this fic. . .or not in any of my current fics, either. Don't get me wrong. I love Trowa. I just don't love him with Lena. Maybe sometime I'll tuck a 3xR under my belt eventually, but if there is a reference to the pairing, it's just for jokes.  
  
Disclaimer: Of course I own them. They're all mine. . . .Not  
  
*~Borrowed Love~* Chapter Five  
  
"If you think I'm going to do that, your head had a bigger effect on it than just amnesia."  
  
Having expected the blow, Trowa only leaned back on the stool. Calmly, he sipped his beer. "That's your call. But if you want her. . ." He shrugged. "Your options only go so far. You can't go shoving a bouquet in her face and expect her to just waltz into your arms. Weirdo."  
  
Heero scratched the back of his neck. He was going to have a hell of a migraine. "There's gotta be a better way to do this. I'm not exactly Rossano Brazzi."  
  
Trowa smiled lightly as Catherine poked her head out from the bedroom.  
  
"Hell not!" she shouted. "South Pacific is awesome!"  
  
The commentary finished, Barton turned back to his semi-friend. "I'll be there through the earpiece. There won't be any problems. This could be your most important mission ever, Heero."  
  
A strange glaze came to Heero's eyes, and Trowa wondered at it. Was that the expression of the battle-hardened soldier he had fought a war with? Or was that the yearning of a man with a need for both flesh and feeling? "Mission accepted," he said.  
  
***  
  
"And thus, with the triumph of the embargo carriers' latest design. . ."  
  
Relena's head nodded, but she was only half-aware of it. If Senator Wilkinson said one more word, she knew she'd be hearing lullabies.  
  
"Thank you, Senator," came the life-saving voice of the one of the two men above her rank, Minister Dapriev. "I think that topic has been covered thoroughly. Is there anything else needed to be discussed?"  
  
"Whatever it is, it will have to be continued tomorrow," said the other man above her, President Jamison. "I think the Vice Foreign Minister's asleep in her seat."  
  
Relena grinned. "Forgive me, gentlemen. I'll have to trust three hours of sleep is a decent excuse?"  
  
"Certainly. And until tomorrow, this meeting is dismissed."  
  
Thank God for small favors, Relena thought as she stood and bowed gracefully before swiftly departing the room and its wizened old occupants. ***  
  
'Asleep' was an understatement, Relena thought as she slid into bed at home. She was very nearly ready to be put in a coffin and dropped six feet below the earth.  
  
Had she kept the doors to her balcony open and the curtains drawn, she may have seen the black-encased man leap down from the stone wall surrounding her palace.  
  
"Take a left turn. The first turret facing west is to the left of her bedroom," came the voice from Heero's earpiece. "But be cautious. That balcony's a lot higher than it looks."  
  
Heero paused. "How do you know?"  
  
At first no sound came. "Preventer precautions," Trowa assured him hesitantly.  
  
"Right. . ." was the doubtful reply.  
  
He heard Trowa sigh in exasperation. "Okay, you're right below her bedroom. I wouldn't use the rope; it could wake her up. Just climb the wall."  
  
Heero hesitated. It had been a long time since he'd used two-inch holes to scale a four hundred-foot wall. . .  
  
"Hey, you're the Romeo," said Trowa.  
  
"I understand." Bracing himself with his index fingers hooked in the stone castle wall, he used his left leg to push of group the ground and slowly slink up.  
  
"Don't touch the roses," his accomplice advised. "Zechs put lasers in the buds."  
  
"Bastard," he cursed. He had to climb the wall, his major obstacle was endangering his ass, and worst of all, Sarah's damned cape was in his way!  
  
He burst into an energetic slither, and grabbed the parapet rail. Triumph, he thought.  
  
"Nice job."  
  
"Shut up, Barton." Screw compliments. He wasn't pleased that the task left him panting.  
  
"Is she in there?" asked Trowa.  
  
Heero rolled, then stood. Her bedroom was pitch black. It was only enhanced sight that let him see anything.  
  
The door was shut, the bathroom dark, the bed - God, that bed. He was certain it could allow Relena and eight close friends to sleep comfortably - was empty and perfectly made.  
  
"Gone," Heero affirmed.  
  
"Then go. Quickly."  
  
Her doors were unlocked. He wasn't too upset since she wasn't in, but any robber could-  
  
"Don't wander, Yuy. There's some activity on that floor." Barton was silent for a moment. "Hide, Yuy! She isn't alone."  
  
Heero considered possible places of cover. There was, of course, an option to jump off the balcony, but he was NOT climbing that wall again. There was the bed, but he'd never get out unnoticed; the bathroom, but the chances of someone entering were too great. He finally opted for the curtains, and Heero pulled one in front of him just as the door swung open and the lights flicked on.  
  
"It is incomprehensible."  
  
This voice he recognized as Relena's, but the voice that replied to her obviously negative statement he did not know.  
  
"Relena, you are being foolish. You are twenty-five, young, beautiful. . . Why can't you be ready for marriage?"  
  
"I was aware that people were to be ready for love first."  
  
"Nonsense. I'm here and well, aren't I?"  
  
There was a pause, and Heero had no doubt it was from shock.  
  
"Though to Horace Delacoup? Mother, I'm sorry. I can't like him. Truth be told, he's more YOUR type."  
  
Horace Delacoup? The French Ambassador? Heero wondered. 'Mother.' Marita Darlian must have been with her. He scowled at the green shade of the curtain. In his ear, he heard Trowa make a disgruntled noise.  
  
"He's stunning," Marita sniffed.  
  
Relena scoffed. "Stunning, yes. And conceited and selfish and a real. . ." She caught herself. "Mother, he's quite frankly boring. So much that it distresses me."  
  
Marita's mental fume was almost audible. "And what man isn't?"  
  
"Those who've lived, Mother."  
  
"And I suppose you know who had lived," Mrs. Darlian muttered.  
  
Heero peered around the corner, and he saw Relena throw up her hands. "As a matter of fact, there is not a single Gundam pilot who has not faced death numerous times. They know what it is to live, and what it is to nearly not."  
  
He felt a bit of pride swell in him.  
  
"Ruffians, those Gundam pilots. But of course you don't feel your love on them."  
  
Relena's eyes narrowed. Some wished it so. "If you are so interested in my behalf, Mother, I will tell you that I met someone at Sarah Winner's ball the other night."  
  
"Did you?" Marita humored frigidly. "And what was the name of this. . .wanton 'someone'?"  
  
"Wanton," Relena sighed.  
  
"Well, he's obviously a sex fiend!" he adoptive mother insisted. "Or he is our for political power."  
  
"Obviously," Relena said sharply.  
  
Heero almost risked making himself known by banging his head on the wall.  
  
"And I don't know his name," the princess retorted.  
  
"You. . .what?"  
  
"He was wearing a mask and he kept calling himself 'Prince.' But he was very gentle."  
  
Marita went pale. "He was an assassin."  
  
Heero felt his eyes freeze on the older woman's form.  
  
"Of course he wasn't!" the VFM exclaimed. "Or else I should not be alive. No, Mother, he was someone very enthusiastic about the masque."  
  
Yes, Heero thought. He adored this costume.  
  
Marita sighed and pressed her fingers to the bridge of her nose. "You make me weary, Relena."  
  
Relena shook her head. You make me sick, she responded mentally. "Go home, Mother. Make some tea and go to bed."  
  
"I will. Sleep well, Relena, and think of Horace. Perhaps he is at least be good in bed."  
  
Relena stood, shell-shocked, when he mother closed the door behind her. The woman was not serious, she told herself. "The old fool!" she said to no one - or no one she knew was there. "Oh, the crazy witch. . ." Grabbing a negligee from a drawer, she disappeared into the bathroom.  
  
"Get going." Trowa returned. "You have exactly two-point-eight minutes before the target returns."  
  
"Understood," Heero affirmed, and moved swiftly. He turned off the light, pressed a button attached to his belt. "Confirm."  
  
"Electricity in locale forty-nine is down."  
  
Heero went behind the curtain again and pulled them both together so he could stand in the middle. On cue, the bathroom door opened, and the sound of Relena's feet padding to the doorway made sure Trowa was silent. The clicking of a light switch being flicked up and down put him on edge.  
  
Rightly so. He tensed with an incredible, almost painful retraction of muscle when she flung the curtains aside and found him there.  
  
Relena screamed. There was a swish of light blue satin before Heero dove, and rolled across the floor to keep a distance.  
  
He turned to see Relena with a palm to her collar, throat flashing as she fought to control her breathing.  
  
"Prince," she said finally. "You. . . You're here."  
  
Heero would have given anything to be able to abort the mission. For one of the first times in his life, he wanted to surrender. And he would have, if not to his cowardly self than to her unintentional seduction. The sky blue hugging her hips and curving under her breasts made a white flag go up.  
  
He tensed again. She had said "Prince," not "Heero." She did not know him. And though he supposed this was a positive asset to the mission, it was a negative one to his person.  
  
"I wanted. . ." He struggled for air. "I wanted to see you again."  
  
Heero watched as one of the thin straps nearly fell from Relena's shoulder. "And I wanted to see you again," she admitted. "I have not met someone like you."  
  
He could have said the same to her, but he doubted he could word it so nicely. He feared he would end up insulting her somehow, and opted for something else. "I changed at the masque."  
  
"I'm much older now," she confided and crossed the room until she was two feet from him. "I've matured since we danced; I feel more, Prince." She paused at the obviously false name. "Please. . . Because I've told you this, will you not tell me your name? I name cannot hurt you."  
  
Yuy saw the pleading in her eyes, the joy, the intimidation, and the longing. She had wanted to see him, hadn't she? But still. . .  
  
"I can't give you a name," he replied. For a fleeting moment, he thought he heard Trowa chuckle in his ear. "A name cannot harm, but I know that you could."  
  
"I wouldn't!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Not on purpose."  
  
"No, no!" Overcome with effort in trying to persuade him to think differently, she moved closer and grasped his shoulders. There was now definite cleavage to be seen. "I would not say anything to upset you. But Prince is not true, no mother name's her son that."  
  
His mother had not named him.  
  
"Tell me, if you trust me. Tell it to me, if you feel anything at all the way I do."  
  
He did, and twice over, if she really loved him. "But can you tell me how you feel, Relena?"  
  
Relena blinked furiously, and she seemed to back down. "I. . .I do not know," she said uncertainly, and looked away. "I don't know what I feel. Not yet."  
  
"It would not be fair," he pointed out. "When you can tell me what you think of me and how you feel because of it, I will tell you who I am."  
  
That mask, it was driving her insane. For whom did such strong feelings erupt, she wondered. The longer she did not see his face, the more mad she would become. But he was note incorrect. Such an agreement would be the only way to satisfy each other.  
  
"I agree," she sighed, and met his brown eyes again. "Will you stay?" she asked eagerly. "You will not leave so quickly, will you?"  
  
"I would not dare touch you, my lady Peacecraft." If he was going to play a chivalrous stranger, he would do his best to add romance to the illusion as well. He cursed in his head. A man and a woman did not always touch when they were together. Damn!  
  
"Nor could you, not in this palace. Not right now." She stepped back. "You will leave."  
  
"I must." Under protest, when she stood there in the moonlight, a vision of purity and serenity. Peace.  
  
She looked at the carpet. "You will have been a dream when I wake in the morning."  
  
"I will not sleep so easily tonight," he said in turn. Feeling bold and liking it, not wanting to lost it, he stepped up and took her chin between his fingers. "But know that this will be I am reality." Dipping his face down, he touched her lips with his, wanting, needing, and too concerned to take.  
  
Relena's lips were pliant beneath his, and they quickly opened with acceptance. When he drew away, a soft sigh escape the mouth he had just kissed. "You are real to me," murmured. "I will wait to know my heart that I will know your identity."  
  
He waited for her heart as well. "Until we meet again, Relena." Indulging her romantic haze, he drew his cape over him and let it swish behind his back as he opened the balcony doors and made to climb back down the wall.  
  
Relena dropped onto her bed.  
  
"The Prince of Darkness," she murmured to herself. She smiled.  
  
She wished he were the prince of her heart.  
  
***********************************************  
  
GG: Well, um. . .sap. And a mission. And a bit of angst with Marita. I just made up the name as they never give it in the series, and, well, you never see Mrs. Darlian again after episode six. Anyhoo, please review, and I'd appreciate any comments of things you'd like to see come up. (Possible lemon you for, Rose.) Again, please review! 


	6. Threat

Gundam Girl: Because the last chapter was so sappy, I hope to thicken things up with a bit of angst. For reference, do you all remember that blond guy in episode two? He's on the motorcycle and sees Heero in the ambulance and gives Relena flowers, and he gets his ass beat by Heero in fencing? ^_^ Yup, he's comin' back. You'll see what I mean.  
  
Thanks to everyone who's ever reviewed. You people are fueling me, and I really need some good fuel right now. Thanks again!  
  
Disclaimer: Wait, I forgot. *looks through past chapter notes* That's right, I DON'T own Gundam Wing! *smacks head* Silly me.  
  
*~Behind Darkness Mask~* Chapter Six  
  
"Horace Delacoup."  
  
Duo snorted, an eyebrow raising. "You're kidding. I mean, I've met that guy. I was in France helping out Preventers a bit, and I talked to him. He's a little older than us, and my handkerchief was more interesting than his words."  
  
Heero lowered into the large armchair in Duo and Hilde's one-floor house. "Her mother wants her to date him, maybe get a ring."  
  
"Marita Darlian is the biggest social figure in today's rich snobs, second to maybe the President's wife, but I figure Mrs. Jamison is nicer. She wants Relena to date any good-looking man as rich as possible." Duo stretched his hands over his head.  
  
Heero scowled. "Any success?"  
  
"Well, in the last eight years, she's had a total of three boyfriends, and I'm pretty sure all of them ended up being losers." Duo's eyes narrowed. "Of course, you'd have known that if you'd been in Sank at the time."  
  
Yeah, Heero thought. He would have. He'd traveled the world looking for the perfect place to call a home, or at least someplace suitable enough for a man who'd been restless. Currently, his apartment in New Port City would do. And if nothing happened with Relena, chances were good he'd been taking off again.  
  
"Hey, Duo. Come in here a minute." Hilde came into the living room just long enough to make the request, and Duo and Heero followed her back into the bedroom, where she was folding laundry.  
  
The TV was on, and it blared the afternoon Sank news from its place on the dresser. "Look at this," Hilde instructed, and the two former Gundam pilots tuned in.  
  
"Early this morning at four-thirty, Sank Kingdom time, a young governor from the European J.A.P area arrived in New Port City. Damien Valrino is rumored to have gone to the St. Gabriel's Academy with Vice Foreign Minister Relena Darlian. Governor Valrino has also confessed to having no appointment scheduled with the VFM. So what could this childhood friend, or maybe, boyfriend, be doing in the capital of Sank? In other news, Senator Kevin Petersen was married to a one Grace Mitchell this afternoon. . ."  
  
Hilde hissed between her teeth. "Uh-oh."  
  
Heero raised his eyes to the ceiling, exasperated. "I'd almost say this is becoming more trouble than it's worth."  
  
Duo grinned. "But it's not, is it? Heh-heh."  
  
"You know what, I'll talk to her," Hilde offered. "Certainly Relena would give me information if I asked for it. And I always do," she confided with a smirk. "Nothing suspicious at all." She looked at the man codenamed zero-one. "Until then, why don't you make an appearance? After all, it has been almost a week since the man that's recently joined the Preventers has showed his face."  
  
Heero's eyelid flickered. He wanted to bite back at her, make some sort of snide remark, but the truth was his interest was so peaked that he couldn't resist the idea. . .if not for the fact that Relena would see him as Heero Yuy.  
  
The idea both frightened and excited him. On one hand, it could be dangerous to go back to Relena's house only two days after seeing her as the Prince of Darkness. Yet on the other, it seemed thrilling that he could look at her without being under some sort of guise.  
  
". . .completely in over his head, if you ask me, just *look* at him. . ."  
  
Heero raised his head and blinked out of the inner closure of thought he had put himself in. "What did you say, Duo?"  
  
Duo grinned. "So, now he pays attention."  
  
Heero glared. Duo shrugged.  
  
"I only said that this guy could be a potential threat to your mission," the braided one stated, rocking back on his heels and sliding a T-shirt on a hanger to help his wife.  
  
"Aren't they all?" asked Hilde.  
  
Duo snorted. "Hardly. Babe, let's just say that the way Relena looked at those stuffy cravat-wearing geezers too old for their age is the way I look at Sally - not my type, which is probably why Wufei has her. But Damien Valrino is kinda the way I used to look at Sylvia Noventa-"  
  
"You what?" Hilde growled. Duo's eyes widened, and he smacked a hand to his head.  
  
"Woops, I mean. . . I SO didn't say. . . That was before I met you!" he insisted at last, sweat beading on his brow.  
  
Hilde rolled her eyes and sighed exasperatedly. "Heero, why don't you go home and rest? I'll call you tonight."  
  
"Call tonight," Heero nodded, "but I'm heading for Preventer HQ."  
  
"How come?" Duo asked, eyeing the black-haired woman warily. For fun, Hilde flashed her eyes at him. He yelped.  
  
"Checking in with Une, mostly. Hopefully get assigned to late night guard detail."  
  
Duo grinned. "Oh, I get ya. . . Night guards have the permission to break down her door in case of emergency. You have a set up handcuffs. . . If the emergency is dire, you can-"  
  
"Finish that sentence, and I'll snap my handcuffs around your neck," Heero growled, and Duo's eyebrows arched.  
  
"Really? Hm, I've always wondered what that would feel like."  
  
Heero narrowed his eyes in warning, and made for the door. "Bye."  
  
"Call you tonight, Heero!" Hilde's chipper voice reminded him.  
  
"Hn." He flung his uniform jacket across his shoulders and stepped out of the house.  
  
Besides the check-in and schedule discussion with Une (the night job was assured - Preventers were always looking for more reliable officers to guard the Vice Foreign Minister's room), there was another reason for going to Headquarters. His laptop wasn't the best piece of machinery for doing background checks on political well-to-do gentleman.  
  
And Damien Valrino was going to get a thorough one on HQ's main computer.  
  
***  
  
He wasn't surprised to see upon walking inside that the Headquarters building looked exactly the same way it had nine years ago upon being first constructed. The walls were splashed in a pure crème, while rugs of burgundy and doors and desks of mahogany detailed the décor. Anne Une had never been one to worry about expenses for good-looking workplaces, but she had made certain that what needed repaired was, and was efficiently.  
  
Also, he wasn't surprised to see the rookie on desk duty up front lounging in the probably uncomfortable wooden chair, his feet propped on the surface of the desk, a thin file envelope pressed against his thighs while he nibbled on the end of a blue pen. Apparently, this newcomer had not yet been fully exposed to Une's strict business manner, nor Wufei's justice.  
  
Heero almost smirked, and wondered briefly how he would react to either of them. But then his face straightened again, as though he had never loosed it. With calm, even strides, he approached the desk.  
  
"I'm here to see Une."  
  
The rookie jumped so high, it was a wonder he didn't hit his head on the ceiling. Heero raised an eyebrow, expressing the proper amount of intended intimidation, and the desk boy yelped.  
  
"Yes, sir," he squeaked. He knew it; if the correct attitude was given, the boy couldn't even tell that they held the same rank. "Do you. . . Do you have an appointment? Should I beep Lady Une?"  
  
"More or less," he answered to the first question. "If you're going to beep her, lower your voice a few octaves. Learn to do your job. You don't want her thinking she's got a woman filling where a man is scheduled."  
  
"Yes, sir!" His voice cracked, and as Heero walked away, he heard him clear his throat to frantically do as was suggested. He glanced at the caller device and its many buttons. Deciding the man was a force to be reckoned with and would need no introduction, he left it alone.  
  
Heero nearly sighed. He hadn't even been asked his name.  
  
The door to Une's office was closed securely, and the gold plate on the door read out her rank and name in an appropriate state of authority. He knocked twice, and proceeded to step inside,  
  
Anne Une looked up over her thin-rimmed reading glasses. "Ah. Heero." She set down the document in her hand and folded her glasses, setting them next to it. "Not shocking for you to be right on time."  
  
Small talk had never been his preferred way of conversation. Even when she gestured to one of the cushioned chairs in front of her, he remained on his feet. He didn't plan to stay in this office long. "Well?"  
  
"Your request pleased me immensely." Though she said so, the normal person wouldn't have been able to believe her by her cold tone and tight expression. Her brown hair around her shoulders, she reminded him of some sort of frigid, royal duchess. "I will give you hours eleven to six, Heero, and we'll see how well you do from there."  
  
"Those are the only hours I asked for," Heero pointed out grimly.  
  
"That's true, however. . ." A cool smile spread on Une's face. "Rumor has it you may try to go for twenty-four/seven."  
  
"What rumor?" Heero demanded, his brows lowering. Blue fire glowed in his eyes. There was a snitch. . .a misinformed snitch.  
  
"Sorry, Anne, your damn coffee machine broke down again, and they were all out of French vanilla. . ." Sally paused, two Styrofoam cups in her hands. When her spring blue eyes landed on Heero, she frowned. "Hi."  
  
His lip curled upward as Une's left eye squeezed half shut in her own feeling of foreboding. "Hi," he returned coldly. "Coffee run interrupt your chat, Sally?" He'd forgotten that Sally and Sarah had grown close from Sarah's own days in the medical department at Preventers. It would only make sense to fill her in on the highlights of today's inner circles.  
  
"The French vanilla's gone?" Une frowned. "Oh. . . Damn. Coffee, Heero?"  
  
"Sally," Heero growled.  
  
"Heero, I didn't say anything," Sally assured him, crossing the room and handing a cup to Anne. "Irish crème," she told her. Une grimaced, but then she leaned back and turned her head to gaze out the window.  
  
"The 'Prince of Darkness'? Really, Heero. Surely you can do better. If not, I'll make a note not to assign you to undercover missions."  
  
Heero slashed a hand down his face. "Why do you know about this, Anne?"  
  
"I make it my business to not let a single thing happen in New Port that passes through my knowledge," Anne replied, sipping from the Irish crème. "Such as Governor Damien Valrino making a sudden arrival at the Peacecraft Palace this afternoon." Her eyes flashed in warning. "Don't kill him, Heero."  
  
Heero wanted to groan; throw a fit if he knew how. As it was, he could only stand and scowl. "How long will he be here?"  
  
"He hasn't said. Oh, I do hope you plan to look into him and save me some trouble."  
  
A bit of the heat in him cooled. "You were going to check?"  
  
"Well, I can't have crazy childhood stalkers on the palace grounds, can I?" She shook her head. "You give me far too little credit, Heero."  
  
From her place in the corner, Sally giggled. "Going to scope in black?"  
  
Heero turned. "You two should be cast down from your posts."  
  
"The only one who casts down anyone here is me, Yuy, and I suggest you remember that," Une said tartly. "Main computer's three doors to the right, if you've forgotten."  
  
"I remember," Heero told her sharply. As he walked out, he tossed over his shoulder: "Here's something you didn't know, Une. Your desk rookie doesn't know the hell what he's doing."  
  
***  
  
That evening, as Heero was looking at computer printouts, his bedside tele- screen rang, and he instructed the voice mechanism to pass through on audio.  
  
"Heero?" the peppy voice chirped.  
  
"Hilde," Heero returned, eyes scanning over Valrino's hobbies: tennis, soccer, cards, and theater-going.  
  
"I've got a juicy bit for you." A laugh sang in her tone. "Relena's giving this Damien a private welcoming party tomorrow night. Mostly Marita's friends and people she and the governor are supposed to be friends with. Cocktail affair."  
  
"So?" Heero asked.  
  
A sigh was audible. "So, pick out a suit and go! Scope the competition."  
  
Heero's face grew stern. The odds of being figured out were slim, and who could be there that would be a major threat?  
  
"I can't hurt, Heero."  
  
~"A name cannot harm, but I know that you could."~  
  
"So what do you say?" she asked, sounding just like her husband. "Will you go?"  
  
~"I wouldn't!"~  
  
"Heero. . .?"  
  
~"Not on purpose."~  
  
Heero reached over and switched the feed to visual, and saw Hilde's worried face.  
  
"Mission accepted."  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Please review! 


	7. Nerves

Gundam Girl: Made it to chapter seven. I'm beginning to wonder if this fic will ever end, even though it's only less than ten chaps so far.  
  
The Black Rose (my overseer for this fic): NEVER! It will go on FOREVER! *wapishes with Noodle of Death*  
  
GG: *cries*  
  
Note: This will be my last update of anything until the middle or the end of January. I have a couple 1xR fic projects due for the Love Reflection ML in February to save SINNER's, aka, Loyce's immortal soul.  
  
And her body from a burning at the stake.  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own it.  
  
*~Behind Darkness' Mask~* Chapter seven.  
  
He was buying far too many clothes, was Heero's train of thought Saturday afternoon. He'd hoped to "win" Relena, as they had so easily termed his mission, but he hadn't expected to be purchasing a whole new wardrobe in the process.  
  
"Nice, Heero," Hilde commented from her spot on his sitting room couch. Her legs were crossed as she gulped from a mug of the bitter coffee he kept at his apartment. "You'll look snazzy at Relena's thing." She grinned. "I'm so happy the blue fit."  
  
Heero turned away from his reflection in the mirror. Hilde had persuaded him into buying the dark blue suit for Relena's private party for Damien Valrino.  
  
"Another thing I'm pleased with you for," she added cheerfully, "is getting yourself assigned to her night guard. Now you won't have to worry about those ridiculous laser-hiding roses Catherine told me about."  
  
Heero raised his eyes to the ceiling to show of straining impatience. "What time does the damn thing start tonight, Hilde?"  
  
Hilde grinned. "Hold your horses, pal," she told him, sounding remarkably like her husband. "The party begins at ten. Relena's - or rather, her mother's - social ring are rich night owls. It'll end around four."  
  
"Isn't that a kind of ridiculous ending time for a party," he stated more than asked.  
  
She shrugged. "Those people live close enough to the palace. None of them are from outside New Port. There really should only be a handful of guests; less than fifty. Now, listen," she went on, making sure he was paying close attention. "Wufei has the day shift for Vice Foreign Minister Darlian today. He knows your plight-"  
  
Heero shot her a dark look.  
  
"-and he agreed, with some coaxing from Sally, to help you a bit. When you switch off at ten, since he's going home an hour early 'cause you're 'new', he'll get you in unnoticed. Relena doesn't know you're her new night guard yet, and since you'll be in a very public place, she won't make a scene." Hilde frowned a little. "I hope you know how far everyone is going for you. I don't want to lose my friendship with Relena, but I am going behind her back - so are the rest of us." She hesitated a little. "Will you tell her tonight?"  
  
Heero schooled his features into a rock-hard mask of indifference. Would he tell her tonight? Tell her that the man she had claimed to love was a myth, that he didn't exist, and that only a brokenhearted soldier had played the role of her dream man?  
  
"No," he muttered tensely.  
  
"Why not? This can't go on forever. Better to get it out now. I've seen how its been eating at you?" Her eyes narrowed. "Remember, Heero, this Prince of Darkness thing was just a test to see if she could love you."  
  
"I'm not the guy she thinks I am!" he exclaimed, suddenly angry. "The test proved she could easily forget me."  
  
"No. It proved that there are sides to you she can love. The real you," Hilde told him. "Heero, you are not the soldier fighting for the colonies. Not anymore. Now, in Relena's time of peace, you are simply a man in love."  
  
He snorted. "Simply."  
  
"Yes, simply," she gritted out between clenched teeth. Men were idiots, Hilde thought, nearly wanting to scathe Yuy. Yet. . . She lightened up. She loved the biggest idiot of them all. And Duo was a great guy. She knew Heero was, too.  
  
Sighing, she looked at her watch. "I've got to go," she said, standing up and picking up her light coat. It was a beautiful fall day, with only the slightest chill outside. "I'm supposed to help Sarah put together her baby's crib today. Have fun tonight, and I mean that."  
  
Heero didn't bother with a goodbye, only turned to leave the room since she would no longer be there.  
  
Hilde waited a beat at the door. "Later, then."  
  
Heero heard the door close behind her. When his enhanced hearing heard her footsteps on the stairs as she descended to the ground floor of the building, he sprinted to his kitchen and turned on the faucet, cupping and spilling cold water over his face.  
  
He had exactly five hours before he needed to be at the Peacecraft palace for the party Relena was giving Damien Valrino.  
  
He frowned even more darkly. Duo was probably making a comment about him being a party-goer lately.  
  
Heero sighed and headed for the shower. Hilde had also left orders to look his best.  
  
***  
  
Marita was frazzled. The band she had insisted her daughter hire for the evening was a half-hour late. Relena had told them that there was no need to show up until nine-thirty, but if the musicians had any proper sense of propriety, they would arrive at least an hour early.  
  
She lifted an immaculately manicured nail and tapped it against her chin. Relena had at first wanted to watch the caterers prepare, but Marita had insisted she had over the reigns to dear mother and use the extra time for get dressed; or, she had said more persuasively, to get some extra sleep. She had taken a late night and an early morning, and it would have been very indecent of her to be a sleepy host.  
  
Marita scowled as that despicable Asian man, Chang Wufei, walked across the marble floor of the ancient ballroom. In her eyes, he marred the elegance and charm that absolutely dripped from the castle. Her eyes became a little teary. If she peered at the room through her eyelashes, she could remember this room in its original glory.  
  
The last time she had stood in here, King and Queen Peacecraft had been celebrating the birth of their newborn daughter, Relena. In her mind, she saw the marvelous portrait of the Peacecrafts, now restored and hung again at the top on the gleaming grand staircase. The country's former monarchs were immortalized in that picture, along with the ageless faces of a little boy with platinum blond hair, and his gold-headed toddler sister, who sat on her father's knee.  
  
Marita smiled. She adored showing off her adopted daughter and Relena's long-lost older brother. She had implored that they act on their titles for once, since most of tonight's guests would be of aristocratic society. The two were to meet at the top of the staircase, and Milliardo - or Zechs, as his wife so casually called him, bring to mind old war days - would escort his sister, the former Queen Relena, down to Damien, and he would join Luchrezia Noin, his spouse.  
  
His pregnant spouse, she thought with a touch of venom.  
  
Of course, Marita consoled herself hurriedly, the child would not be the heir to the family fortune. He or she would not get this wonderful palace and all of its antiquities. That would be left to Relena's children, who would be the offspring of a respected, upstanding man of society over the world.  
  
A man like Damien, she thought firmly. Not that vagabond boy she had chased around as a girl when the war had first began. He's been a Gundam pilot, for God's sake! And even then, she was supposed to have started dating Damien that year, when she was fifteen and Relena's father - her husband - had approved.  
  
Little matter. So the courting had been delayed for a decade. They could see each other now as esteemed, mature adults; with steady careers that made both of them quite an amount of money.  
  
Marita smiled smugly. Relena may be a high-sitting political figure, but she was still very naïve. Marriage rarely had anything to do with love. It was all about benefit. She had married a Sank Kingdom senator, who had later become the Earth Sphere Alliance's Vice Foreign Minister of Affairs. She had been benefited well, and now it was Relena's and Damien's turn to be treated in such a way.  
  
How fortunate, too, that Damien still possessed an adorable schoolboy affection for Relena.  
  
***  
  
"Hurry in here, Yuy," Wufei said tersely as Heero followed a group of musicians into the castle. "I have to go check on Darlian one more time, but then I'm outta here. My original position for the start of the party is on the second floor, by that pillar, overlooking the ballroom. I suppose you'll do your scanning thing and walk around."  
  
Heero gave him one curt nod. "Do I need to say thank you?" he asked, rather tonelessly.  
  
Wufei snorted. "If I ever liked anything about you, Yuy, it that was you never did anything that wasn't absolutely necessary. I assume you realize that I require no thanks."  
  
Heero nodded again, and Wufei turned to go see Relena once more before he left for the night.  
  
"Wufei," Heero said, and the Chinese pilot halted mid-stride. "Thanks."  
  
After a moment, Wufei's head bent forward in the slightest nod of respect. "Barton will never let you live this down, you know."  
  
Chocolate eyebrows lowered over irritated blue eyes. "I know."  
  
Wufei walked away. So did Heero.  
  
But Wufei was the one who was smirking.  
  
***  
  
"You have fifteen minutes, woman."  
  
Relena forced a smile, as in Wufei was actually in her chamber instead of outside the door that led to the entire half-wing she had to herself. "Thank you, Wufei."  
  
There came no reply, only a scuffle of feet that slowly faded.  
  
The VFM sighed and sat in a chair near the door. Her hair had been done by Noin's hands, with her sister-in-law's assistance that she could make her look beautiful. Relena and Noin weren't especially close, but it seemed that Noin had been putting forth more effort to become so as of late. Relena supposed it was because Noin didn't want her thinking that she was a strange woman who had married her brother and had stood as her imperial guard during the war.  
  
Of course, she had never thought of Noin that way, but she didn't blame the woman for being extra kind, although the movement wasn't necessary. She liked Noin, had always liked Noin - she was a loyal, spirited, strong woman that was to be admired.  
  
And she had a talent for fixing hair, which was piled tightly on top of her head and held up by diamonds.  
  
Relena had opted for a sequined dress, midnight blue. The gown's hugged neatly from her hips to her knees, where the material went loose around her claves to her ankles. The bodice was strapless, and came to a short V between her breasts, showing off the proper amount of cleavage that would leave her desirable, but not indecent. A thick string of diamonds surrounded her neck and dangled at her ears.  
  
Marita would be thrilled, she thought angrily, that her daughter knew how to buy the right dress and accessories for an evening with a bunch of powerless aristocrats.  
  
Relena, with a bit more strength to her step than necessary, exited the wing and nearly knocked both herself and her brother to the floor.  
  
"Whoa," Zechs said on a half-laugh. "Didn't know there could possibly be so much power in that small build of yours."  
  
"Sorry," she said earnestly. "I've been. . .energetic lately."  
  
"So I see," he said. "That's good. You've looked tired lately. I'm happy to see you've finally got some strength back."  
  
She offered him a smile and watched as his gaze traveled to the head of the staircase they were supposed to walk down, showing off the royalty they were born to.  
  
"Is this really necessary, Relena?" Zechs asked lightly. "I gave this world up. If I had meant to live on this way, I would be sitting on that throne in the next room as a useless monarch right now."  
  
Relena blinked. "It means a lot to Mother," she began, "but if you really don't want to do this, I'm sure I can-"  
  
"Forget it," said Zechs abruptly, taking her hand and setting her palm upon the back of his own hand in the manner of a proper escort. "It's just this once."  
  
She smiled, hoping she was conveying her immense gratitude at least fractionally. "Thank you. Mother will-"  
  
"I'm doing this for you," he interrupted with a slight edge to his voice. "Personally, I really can't stand your mother, Relena."  
  
He started leading her to the stairs before she could say more.  
  
***  
  
Heero watched Damien Valrino finish talking to Luchrezia Noin just as the section of trumpet players went into an exaggerated announcing tune, and the original Peacecraft heir appear at the top of the stairs with his sister.  
  
Zechs was distinguished in a rather expensive-looking suit, but Relena was breathtaking. The way the skirt of the dress tightened around her waist and chest left little to the imagination. Heero straightened his shoulders and kept his mind in check. He was still protecting her, after all, and he glanced around the ballroom.  
  
He scoped out Damien watching Relena with a bit too much appreciation in his eyes, and a ridiculous surge of jealousy sprang to Heero's heart.  
  
He shook his head as he looked once more at Relena, who was looking a little too sexy as they reached the bottom of the stairs to a smatter of applause and took her childhood friend's hand.  
  
He headed to a smaller, less-noticeable set of stairs so he could get to the ballroom floor and see at a better angle. He would never get through this night, Heero thought as the music started up again.  
  
******************************************************************  
  
Gundam Girl: Okay, so this chapter was basically a set-up for chapter eight. But chapter eight will be very good, I promise! Please be patient with me, and thanks for reading! Review! 


	8. Risk

GG: I'm back, and as Rose would say, I'm here to "fulfill" chapter seven. Apparently, chapter seven was only half a chapter. 0o  
  
Rose: Yay. Part two!  
  
GG: Okaaay. grips cattle prod, just in case  
  
Disclaimer: I do not claim to own Gundam Wing. Or Tuxedo Mask, just to clarify, although, er...Heero isn't supposed to LOOK like Tuxedo Mask.  
  
Behind Darkness' Mask Chapter Eight  
  
By Gundam Girl  
  
Ever since he had first met her at seven years old in the first grade, Damien Valrino had been friends with Relena Darlian. Ever since he'd discovered the distinct differences between a man and woman, he had found his friend attractive. And for a handful of years, he would have said he held very serious feelings for Relena. But, he had come to realize as he'd neared his seventeenth year, he'd been only half in-love with her.  
  
Well, he couldn't quite say he still didn't feel that way. Sometimes a strong attraction for a person never completely dissipated. In fact, all he could say was that his childhood friend looked totally breathtaking – he hoped the adjective sufficed. The dark purple she wore brought out the lavender tints to her eyes, and he smiled.  
  
The princess she'd been even at seven years old hadn't worsened with age, which was for certain.  
  
As she and her infamous brother landed at the bottom of the stairs, he nearly sprung to her side, friendly affection warring with something else. She met his eyes with a merry smile. "Damien," she said in greeting, a half-laugh ringing in her voice. She was thinking of the image her mother wanted her to convey when she held out her hand.  
  
As well-used to the behavior code as she, Damien lightly gripped her slender fingers, still bare but for a silver chain on the right hand and the wrong finger. Marita, he knew, would be doing everything she could to correct that; he himself could even be a prospect. He didn't doubt the widow's cunning in that department. "Relena," he returned, bending slightly at the waist to press a kiss to the back of her hand. He was careful to make sure his lips lingered no longer than what was expected. "You're looking marvelous."  
  
"It must be, what, nine years since I've last seen you?" Relena wanted to give him a hug; in their days at St. Gabriel, he had been the only one she'd been able to call a true friend. Those little ladder-climbers had hurt her feelings more than anything, their prejudiced airs striking her good nature. Damien, she recalled, had been just as understanding as herself. They had supported each other in an environment that had wanted to break them and their believing spirits. However, hugs were both unprofessional and inelegant – something that her position as both politician and aristocrat denied her in public. "Ten years, maybe?" she continued.  
  
"A very long time," supplied Damien with a laugh of his own. "That last time I saw you somewhere other than on the television screen was at your official inauguration as VFM. But I had to leave early, because I was still campaigning for representative of Deis County here in Sank. Oh, I remember some of the horrible things the tabloids had on you back then!" he teased.  
  
She slipped her arm through his only to gain the required closeness she needed to have a good conversation rather than the approval of those monitoring them. They walked in slow, comfortable steps as they reunited. "I'll tell you one true thing out of them all. I've missed you Damien."  
  
He used his other hand to give hers a nice squeeze. "I've missed you too, Relena. I haven't realized it for the last many years, but I really have missed you."  
  
They smiled at each other. There was no joy quite like that which being reunited with a loved one brings.  
  
Heero couldn't tell if he was disgusted or bored. He was being plainly biased, of course, as he watched Valrino walk with Relena. They chatted amiably; there were truly very little romantic notions to be derived from the picture they made. But he had seen paparazzi make something vile out of something as innocent as a father strolling through the park with his daughter. And politician scandal was still a favorite on and off the Earth.  
  
Folding his arms, his eyes narrowed as the entertaining fast number the band was playing died, and they began a gavotte. Waltzes fit Valrino, he learned, as the governor led Relena to the square of dancing area and pulled Relena into the three-quarter time.  
  
He saw glimpses of her face as the handsome-looking couple twirled and whipped around other pairs of music-lovers (ones who listened to Chopin and Bach). The third glance showed her head thrown back as she laughed at something he said, nearly as if—  
  
He'd seen enough, Heero decided abruptly, and went for the discreet little staircase he was stationed by. Relena's smile was as wide and Damien's grin when he became level with them. They bowed and curtsied to each other, then moved into position for whatever was next.  
  
It turned out the next wasn't a waltz at all. The lighting dimmed a bit as the band swung into a tantalizing, saxophone-leading jazz piece. It was a little like the sarabonde Heero and Relena had danced to the first night at Quatre's masque.  
  
No one was meant to share a dance like that with her other than himself. No one.  
  
He moved forward briskly and reached the two politicians before they could move into position; his hand landed on Damien's shoulder.  
  
When the governor looked up with questioning eyes, he said flatly, "I'd like to dance with Vice Foreign Minister."  
  
Damien was a little confused as he studied Heero's dress Preventer uniform. He wasn't sure, but he didn't think it was orthodox for a security guard to actually participate in his assigned event. "Well," he began before the woman beside him interrupted.  
  
"Heero," she hissed, holding back unneeded volume. "What are you doing here?!"  
  
Heero's eyes went to hers and he fleetingly wished she didn't look so beautiful. "I've been assigned to your night guard," he told her in a monotone. "Effective today."  
  
"Lady Une didn't inform me about this?" she asked.  
  
Damien inched away. "I think I'll give you time to explain some things," he said to Heero. Relena moved to object, but his legs were long enough to carry him too far away to beckon him back.  
  
Heero waited a beat, then proceeded. "People are staring."  
  
"Of course they are," huffed Relena. "My guard has left his post." But she accepted his hand and moved into a dancing position anywhere. She stiffened; not because she necessarily disliked being this close to him, but because it felt...odd. Familiar.  
  
Libra, she determined. They had stood in a way similar to this on Battleship Libra. He'd been saying goodbye—  
  
Relena willed the memory away. Now was not the time to conjure up old war happenings. "You have something to say," she assumed, her voice hard.  
  
Heero gave her one curt nod and felt a trickle of cold sweat slide down his neck. Would she notice? Why should she, he thought in the next instant. He wasn't her Prince. "When I came back to Sank, Une was looking for agents to further improve your guard detail." He was glad his voice came out smoothly; her proximity was causing abnormal body temperatures.  
  
"I see," she replied coolly. "And?"  
  
"A Gundam pilot, I suppose, was the obvious choice," he answered. He had to make a conscious effort not to hold his breath. Everything about her had him tightening up; it was contradictory to his instilled sense of calm and uncaring. "I thought you should—"  
  
"You're ahead of tempo, Yuy," she murmured. "Ease up. Slow down."  
  
Heero hadn't noticed his movements had been jerky, but he deliberately slowed them. Relena, whose eyes had been on his chin while he spoke, now looked into his face. "Why did you decide you love me, Heero?"  
  
He'd have preferred that she drive a beam saber through his stomach to that softly-spoken question. It would, he figured, hurt far less. "It's hardly a decision." The alto sax swelled, giving the audible illusion that his voice wasn't flat.  
  
"I guess that's true," said Relena. She smiled slightly as the song ended. "I don't know what to say to you, Heero. You go off around the world for eight years, and the situation upon your return in bound to be a bit awkward."  
  
"You've never seemed like an awkward conversationalist," he pointed out.  
  
She didn't miss a beat before shooting back good-naturedly, "During a war, there's always something or someone to talk about." She shrugged, casting a look at Damien who watched them from the sidelines. "Well, that's true for when there's peace too, it seems. Damn it, Heero," she cursed softly, chuckling on a breath. She chose to ignore the sudden thundering of her heartbeat. "Why is it that I can't stay upset with you?"  
  
He was barely daring to hope for the reason why.  
  
When the song ended, Heero more than reluctantly walked her back to Valrino, who was staring at him with strange eyes. After ten seconds, he nearly got irritated and was ready to demand what the deal was when Damien admitted, "I know you."  
  
Heero's brows lowered. "Do you?"  
  
"You're Heero Yuy, right? The Gundam pilot." He winced and raised a hand to smooth at his own cheek. "The one that broke my, um, helmet."  
  
"Fencing's a hobby," Heero covered easily. "One I think I'm outgrowing."  
  
"That's a shame. I'm still a pretty avid contender; it would have been nice to have a rematch, although judging by your skill from back then, I don't guess the results would be different." He laughed. "Which is even more of a shame."  
  
Oh shit. Heero hooked a thumb into the pocket of his pants in hopes of giving off a bored look. If anything got any worse, it would be that he wouldn't be able to hate Damien Valrino. "I guess it would be." With all the finesse of a practices aristocrat, Damien motioned for a servant so discreetly that it was barely unnoticeable. A suit-clad man carrying a tray of bubbling champagne flutes went to his side instantly, and the governor handed a glass to Relena, taking one for himself. "Mr. Yuy?"  
  
"I don't drink on the job," Heero replied.  
  
"Oh, of course. Excuse me." With a careless wave of his hand, Valrino dismissed the servant, who bowed with a smile before trudging away again. "Speaking of jobs, how's your going, Relena? And before you tell me it's nice and lovely, don't. You're still a horrible liar."  
  
Relena flashed him a quick, mischievous grin. "That would depend on who I'm lying to, I'd say." She sipped from her glass, glancing at Heero over the rim of it. "It's tiring, but I'm prepared for exhaustion. There's a great thing called caffeine, Damien, and I'm a huge fan of it."  
  
That made both men worry. Damien figured she shouldn't have agreed to an early-morning party without proper rest. Heero thought she needed to just retire. But no; despite the tiredness, the ex-Gundam pilot knew she loved her position as one able to help the world. "I'll get back to my post," Heero said abruptly.  
  
"You're welcome to the buffet if you're hungry," Relena told him so kindly that it hurt to hear it.  
  
He didn't reply, only climbed the stairs to resume the great mission of observing a crowd of wealthy late-nighters, focusing mainly on Relena and her childhood "friend."  
  
Yuy was too preoccupied with racing thoughts involving the throttling of European governors to notice Marita Darlian's sharp glare at his back from where she discussed the newest theater debut with four other show patrons. Her silent resentment was interrupted by a gentleman she'd known for years, who was only a few years older than her.  
  
"Marita, darling, you're certainly making a wise decision." One-time Alliance Captain Nicholas Freedman puffed from his ten-year-old pipe. "Young Damien is very well suited to your Relena. Why, I remember his parents quite well. Strong stock were the Valrinos. Weren't they betrothed a few years ago?"  
  
Marita plastered a smile onto her face. "'Betrothed' is quite strong a word for the situation, Nick. 'Intended' is much more to it. I'm afraid life just got in the way." Her eyes narrowed. "Ruining Relena's as it did."  
  
"Come now, Marita," Nicholas laughed. "It was a war, after all. Wars are bound to confuse previously planned affairs. Besides, your daughter turned out quite well from it, wouldn't you say? The only remaining royal from the Peacecraft family, Queen of the World, Romefeller's Chief Representative, and now Vice Foreign Minister. Someday she'll be President, you know."  
  
It was an ambition Marita had for both Relena and herself. Presidents' mothers got much acclaim these days as their children. "I'd much prefer to see her settled with a baby or two," she lied, a pleased expression lighted on her face.  
  
"You're sweet, Marita. But it seems at the moment your daughter's married to politics." A woman still three years younger than Mrs. Darlian grinned. "That's too bad. What a nice couple she and Damien make. No doubt you're plotting that."  
  
"What foolishness!" chuckled Marita, a gleam in her eye. "They've always been drawn to each other. They're not at all set together by higher forces anymore."  
  
But, Marita was firmly sure of, no matter why that Yuy boy was here, Damien and Relena were meant for each other. Status met with status; riches weren't for Gundam pilots or for – for masked princes.  
  
Unless, of course, it really was a prince.  
  
"So what's the story on that guy?" asked Damien over his and Relena's fourth glass of champagne three hours later. "I wondered a couple times, but I have to admit that I never gave too much thought to him. God, I'm as unappreciative as everyone else."  
  
"No, you're not," Relena chided. "Stop it. Well, he survived the war, obviously, and I wish to say we're all right on an acquaintance level."  
  
Damien was amused. "And do you get your wish?"  
  
"I thought I did until a month ago. Damien, the last time I saw him until that point was the night Mariemaia Khushrenada's coup was disbanded. Then he went away for a whole eight years; rumor is he traveled the world and the colonies. And then, who's the first person – well, maybe – person he comes to?"  
  
"I'm guessing it's you," remarked Damien.  
  
"You guess right. Me, a silly sixteen year-old girl who was fascinated with him enough to chase him around." She didn't notice the slight frown on Damien's face. "But I guess he didn't realize it was only fascination. Damien..." Nervous about the general occurrence, she twined her fingers with her friend's. "He came here to my house and told me he's in love with me."  
  
Damien blinked and jerked fractionally. "That guy did?" he exclaimed on a half-laugh. His eyes flicked to Heero's overlook before turning back to Relena. "That's—"  
  
"Nerve-racking, is what it is." She sighed. "Damien, I don't know what to do. Eight years is a long, long time. I didn't know very much about Heero Yuy before he left, but now I feel like I don't know him at all, and..."  
  
"And?" Damien asked, tilting his head. He shook his head when her eyes lowered. "Oh, not this. You said 'and,' so what's the and?"  
  
"I think...and this is ridiculous, I know, but..." Her eyes raised to meet his, and Damien was taken aback by the emotions surging through him. "I think I'm in love with someone."  
  
Oh. Damien's brain promptly stopped functioning. "Well. That nulls my chance, doesn't it?"  
  
"Don't tease," she moaned. "I don't even know the guy's name, but he's amazing. I'm pretty sure anyway. And when he held me, I felt something so different. My heart felt like it would burst so what—"  
  
"Whoa, hold up." Only a little wounded that Relena had thought Damien had been teasing her, he held up a hand. He quickly drained his champagne glass and set it aside. "To straighten this out: You think you're in love. Yet you don't know his name, and you're only 'pretty sure' he's amazing. You've let him hold you, though, knowing nothing about him." He scowled. "Relena, dear, that sets you up as a desperate single woman, and if that's the case, there are better solutions."  
  
"I know you think it's crazy!" she said, making an effort to keep her voice low enough so only he heard her in the buzz of the crowd. "Hell take me, Damien, I know it's crazy. But this guy...he has odd brown eyes that seem to dig inside you and tear out your soul, whether you want him to or not. And, well, he makes me feel like I'm in some medieval romance novel."  
  
He was amused again. "You read those? Kidding," he added before she could get upset. "Well, you are a princess. But...well, I don't know what to say, Relena. You've just told me you're in love with someone you don't know. I didn't think you believed in love at first sight."  
  
"I don't," she began, then frowned. "Well, I didn't. But I didn't victimize myself for it. And I don't think I was particularly stressed out about Heero's sudden confession that it made me hunt out possible love interests. And what if this is just whacked out emotions? I've never been in love, Damien. How do I know if this is what it is?"  
  
Damien's expression was one of champagne-soaked sympathy. "What are you saying, Relena? Are you upset because you might be in love? Or are you upset because you might not be and are afraid of feeling like a fool?" When only confusion crossed her face, he leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to her brow. "Think about it, honey. I'll be around for about a week yet, so let me know if you need to talk it out. And in the meantime, get some sleep."  
  
She smiled. "You're leaving?" Feeling reckless now that she'd told her story, she threw back the rest of her champagne.  
  
He laughed. "Let us look through the alcohol at everyone else as they so giddily make for the door. Your poor cleanup crew. Oh, and your band left a half-hour ago." He blinked. "I think that bodyguard of yours is the only sober one here. God, we're spoiled stiffs. Wish I could handle alcohol."  
  
"I should forget this business," Relena decided, standing up and only half- stumbling over to him. "I should fall in love with you."  
  
Damien grinned and shrugged. "That would certainly make things less complicated. Are you looking for a rich governor husband?"  
  
Relena wrinkled her nose. "You'd give me ugly babies."  
  
Like a big brother, he twisted her nose between his thumb and index finger. "You can call me, remember. Just...make it tomorrow after my hangover is gone."  
  
She almost giggled. "Your driver's waiting for you."  
  
"Best not leave the dear man hanging." With the charm of the intoxicated, he gave her a sloppy, champagne-flavored kiss and fought the urge to chuckle when he saw the Gundam pilot glare at him. "Goodnight, 'lena."  
  
"'Night, Damien. Keep Mother busy, won't you?"  
  
"I should fall in love with your Mother!" he called.  
  
"Go ahead!" she invited. When he and his twin – she was seeing double, unfortunately – were gone from the ballroom, she whirled around to face Heero just as he was coming down the stairs. "Have fun?" she asked.  
  
In one, quick look, he took in her drunken and exhausted state. "I'll escort you to your room," he said.  
  
"Heero, I'm perfectly capable. Promise." Too far gone to notice the otherwise-suspicious duffel bag on his shoulder, she grabbed his arm and pretended he wasn't there. "You have strong arms, Heero."  
  
He swallowed. "Thank you."  
  
"And you're always so stiff and formal, do you realize that? Do you ever relax?" she asked curiously.  
  
"No."  
  
"You should," she told him. "You'd be fun to relax with." She paused with him outside her door. "You know, you look just like him."  
  
Heero's eyes narrowed. "Who?" he asked, half-bemused and half-irritated with her current state of mind.  
  
"The Prince of Darkness," she tossed out casually as only alcohol-induced women can. "I'm in love with him."  
  
His scowl darkened. "You are?"  
  
Her only answer was to open the door from her room, but before she closed it, she leaned against the doorjamb and looked at a spot just beyond his left ear. "You know," she murmured, more seriously, "I was lonely tonight. It was good to see Damien, but no matter what the media will tell you, he's just a friend, one I haven't seen in years. I'm glad the closeness we had hasn't faded, but yes...I was lonely."  
  
Heero studied her calmly and waited for her to either go on or dismiss him. She did the former.  
  
"I get more and more lonely every year. I feel like I'm getting old when I should be. I'm only twenty-five, and I'm healthy." She ran a shaking row of fingers through her hair. "And I want to be in love." She sighed and smiled that beguiling smile at him. "Goodnight, Heero."  
  
The door closed, and Heero gripped the duffel bag. She could say that to her friend, she could say it to him, but could she say it to...?  
  
His fists clenched. He would find out.  
  
Relena tipped cold tap water into her mouth to ease the champagne taste. Damien was right. They were spoiled stiffs. In nothing but a bathroom (simply because putting on pajamas was a very complicated concept), she padded out of her bathroom, ready to fling herself onto the bed and pass out.  
  
The darkened figure by the door halted her in walking and in thinking. His image was nearly indiscernible in the blackened room, but she wasn't afraid; she knew who it was. "Prince."  
  
He walked forward. Every move he made seduced – a stretch of leg beckoned, and when he reached out, she gripped his hand half-dazedly.  
  
She couldn't see him, she could only feel him. She'd felt him before, though, and his voice was the same.  
  
"Have you figured it out yet?"  
  
She inhaled; the scent of him was plain, but alluring. The front of his shirt was smooth, and she circled his waist with her arms, leaning against him. He didn't move. She didn't know what to say exactly. What was there to say, except...  
  
Relena angled her head backward to look at his eyes; they were dark, but a little lighter than there regular shade of brown. That was probably just the champagne. His voice was Prince's, his hands were Prince's.  
  
"I love you," she whispered. She felt him tense, but she lifted a hand to the back of his hand and gently eased it down to hers. Rising to her toes, she pressed her lips to his mouth and welcomed the irresistible heat and the pulsing sense of right flowing through her.  
  
"Relena," she heard him begin, but she shook her head.  
  
"You told me when I figured out what I think of you and how I feel from that, you'd say who you were. Well, I know that I think you're a wonderful person."  
  
"I could be a killer."  
  
"You're not," she assured him and herself. "You could have killed, in the war maybe, but you're not a killer. And how I feel...is that I love you."  
  
There was silence. "I—"  
  
"Shhh." Wanting the moment and not wanting to think about what it could bring, Relena let her fingers glide over one of his smooth cheeks, down his neck, to the collar of his shirt, and the first button of the same article. "I don't need to know yet. Not yet."  
  
He didn't stiffen when she began to undo the buttons of his shirt. "Relena, what..."  
  
"I want you," she told him softly. "I've wanted you since I first saw you in Quatre's house. I've never wanted anyone before, and I've never had anyone."  
  
That was definitely something to think about.  
  
"But if I can choose my first..." Now parted, she pushed the material from his shoulders and followed its fluttery path to the floor with her eyes. "I want it to be the first man I'm in love with."  
  
"Relena, you've had drink."  
  
"Yes." Sure, she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I don't know your name, but in the long run of it all, do names really matter? If people had numbers, wouldn't it still be a label for them?"  
  
"Relena..." He shuddered involuntarily under her roaming fingers until they left his skin and touched the belt of the robe covering her slim body. Heero knew instantly that he would hate himself in the morning.  
  
"No more objections," Relena murmured cryptically. "Not anymore."  
  
The robe slid soundlessly to the floor. Relena stepped forward and kissed him again.  
  
And there were no more objections.  
  
Not anymore.  
  
Whoa, ANOTHER update. I'm a little worried about this fic in all honesty, guys. It seems rushed, even though I'm not trying to rush it. It's OOC, I understand, but I really do like writing it. It's a different take on the Relena-doesn't-love-Heero-but-Heero-loves-her deal. It's more daring, obviously. grin Even if it's not the best writing ever, I hope you can appreciate the work behind it and the story.  
  
I hope you'll review too!  
  
Love,  
  
GG 


	9. Truth

This. Is. It. The big discovery chapter. And you guys, prepare for a volcano!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing and am making no profit from this story.  
  
Behind Darkness' Mask Chapter 9  
  
By Gundam Girl  
  
The sunlight on Heero's face was warm and woke him feeling the same way. He'd never felt this good in his life, he was certain. He didn't want to open his eyes, however, because the dream he'd been having was incredible. He could still see Relena, covered in shadows.  
  
But then he remembered.  
  
It hadn't been a dream at all. His body ached just slightly in places he rarely used, and the sheets he was tangled in were too soft to be his own. Heero's eyes snapped open.  
  
And he saw Relena's bedroom, white and blue in décor, scented with roses and sex. Heero sat up, found himself completely nude, and then jumped at the movement against his side. Turning to look, he saw Relena lying there, equally naked and sleeping soundly, a soft smile on her lips.  
  
No. No, Heero thought, no! He hadn't...they hadn't...  
  
Oh, hell below, they had! Squeezing his eyes shut, he thought back to the events of last night. Him, watching Relena with Damien...Relena going up to her room...him changing into his bloody costume and going into her room...Relena drunkedly seducing him, taking off her robe, taking off his clothes...the two of them falling madly into bed...  
  
Crazy, he clutched his head and willed the memory to not be there. But the evidence was on the floor, her abandoned robe and his disgarded costume, the hat and cape tangled together mockingly. He felt fingers on his lower back slide up to his shoulder, and Relena pulled herself up, the sheet that had covered her falling to her waist.  
  
"Prince?" she murmured, half-asleep. "Are you..."  
  
"Relena," Heero muttered. God. "Relena..." He searched for words and couldn't find them. What was there to possibly say?!  
  
Relena's eyes cleared a bit further. "Prince," she said again. "What's wrong?" She raised a hand to her temple. God, it felt as though her heart had switched places with her brain and was no pounding away inside her skull.  
  
"Relena." He looked at her now, into her questioning gaze. He had to, Heero knew he had to. Tell her the truth. She would despise him, perhaps more than he despised himself, though that seemed highly impossibly. Slowly, he raised a hand to her cheek and kept it there. Right now, he was already planning where he could go, but he wanted to preserve this moment. Just this one moment, and if he was never given a kind image ever again in his entire life, he would at least have this. This vision of Relena, with her hair mussed and curling near her elbows, with her face rosy, with her eyes wide and beautiful.  
  
"I love you," he murmured, gathering her to him, her eyes filled with surprise when he kissed her and pulled away again a few moments later.  
  
"Prince," Relena began. She couldn't explain the chill that was suddenly spreading over her. She wasn't in denial about what had happened, nor did she believe Prince had taken any unfair advantage of her. "Why—"  
  
"I'm not Prince."  
  
The stoically-said words made her smile. "Does this mean you're going to tell me who you really are?"  
  
'Prince' hung his head and withdrew his hands from her. "Someone who loves you." The words stuck like knives in his throat as he slowly lifted his fingers to his eyes and took out the brown-tinted contacts before meeting her eyes again.  
  
Relena froze, the smile still on her face. "Someone who..." Then the smile melted away, like ice against the sun streaming into the bedroom, and she lifted a shaking hand to her mouth. "Oh, my God...Heero."  
  
He wanted to run; the coward Heero had had beaten out of him for Operation Meteor appeared now and he wanted to run away from the look on her face. But he knew it was his duty as a soldier to protect, as a man even, to stay there and take it.  
  
"Oh my God," she said again. "Oh my God!" The shock swept over and through Relena entirely. "Heero... You're Heero...you're..." Her hand rose from her mouth to her hair and she suddenly remember she was naked. Tugging the sheet up to her neck, she reared back away from him.  
  
That one movement cut Heero more deeply than any knife in his throat possibly could. He didn't know what to say, so he gave her the space she obvious demanded and went to the small bag he'd left by the door the previous night and pulled out his Preventer uniform.  
  
It was Heero. The small sentence ran through Relena over and over again. It was Heero, it was Heero, it was Heero... The headache she was suffering from intensified tenfold. The mixed-up, confused emotions inside of her swelled and merged until it rammed her hard in the chest. The one topping all at the moment was anger, and Relena's eyes narrowed as she watched him dress, hugging the sheet all the more closer to her. Forcing her painfully tight throat open, she asked softly, "How could you do this to me?"  
  
Heero paused as he was slipping the damned costume into the bag. He may have been dressed, but he felt as though her eyes were seeing right through him. "I didn't mean to hurt you," he said, so lowly it was nearly a whisper. "I'm in love with you.  
  
Relena's eyebrows narrowed; the first outward sign of temper. "You keep saying that." Her fingers clenched into the seat. "But you know, it's not true. You don't know what love is. How can you? You were raised to destroy everything; even love. Even friendship, apparently!"  
  
He winced at the sudden heightening in her voice. "You didn't want to be friends with me."  
  
"How could YOU know that?!" she demanded. "You didn't give it a chance with your fucking disguise! Jesus, Heero! You're completely insane, I should report you for..." She gasped, the tears springing to her eyes before she could have a hope of stopping them. "God... I feel like such a whore."  
  
"Relena!"  
  
"Damn it, leave. Please leave." Curling her legs up to her chest, Relena leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. She was feeling too much, way too much. When she heard the door open and close, she trembled, rethinking that he "loved her." The anger, the rage, the embarrassment, the fear, the digust...  
  
It all was jumbled with the inevitably distinguishable thought that, even when he had first come to her those long weeks ago, Relena had minutely wondered about loving Heero back.  
  
---  
  
A week later, it was Trowa who found him first, lying in a room in the cheapest motel in New Port, his companion more than ten twenty-six packs of equally cheap beer.  
  
The green-eyed Gundam pilot had been able to get into the room with a simple flash of his Preventer ID at the front desk, and had to wade through a sea of discarded cans to get remotely near to the bed. The room was dark, the only light coming blue-grayish from the TV playing on low-volume. Heero was watching it, or was at least appearing to. There was a glaze over his Prussian blue eyes and a light shine of drool beneath his lower lip.  
  
"Yuy," Trowa said loudly and then repeated the name in case his fellow ex- pilot hadn't heard him. "Fuck, you look like shit. I'm surprised you're still in town."  
  
Heero did know more than respond with a quiet, "Hn."  
  
"Duo's been calling your apartment all week, Hilde won't stop crying, Quatre's fretting, Sarah's eating more than usual, Wufei and Sally bicker more than usual, your landlord wants your rent, and now even Catherine's starting to get jumpy over you." Trowa lightly snorted. "As for me, I knew it would come to this eventually."  
  
"Hn."  
  
Picking more cans aside, Trowa sat in an uncomfortable, ugly chair. "You've got no one to blame for this but you. You went after her. You followed again, Heero. You weren't made for following." He lifted one shoulder. "Relena's more or less shattered still. Her work's failing. She can't concentrate. Not that I blame her." His eyes rose to the ceiling. "She gave her virginity away to someone she didn't know. That may have been her fault, but you lying to her wasn't."  
  
In Heero's mind, a brief spark of a retort flew, but it died nearly instantly.  
  
"Before you say anything," Trowa went on, "I know I helped you out. At the time, I trusted you. God knew I didn't expect you to take it so far as this." Move, you piece of shit, Trowa thought. "Now the only person I feel sorry for is Relena. You don't deserve someone like her, you know. She's far too good for you. I wonder if what you always thought was true. Your attitude about being totally useless past fighting and war. I'm asking the question too now, Heero. Do you have a purpose beyond the blood? Do any of us?"  
  
Trowa cricked his neck. "I think I do. I discovered a little something after all the fighting. I like living. There's a lot of things to do while you're living. I discovered the advantage of women; and they certainly are a advantage." He paused, knowing his next choice of words would need to be handled with care. Standing up, Trowa stepped through the cans again and set a hand on the doorknob. "Maybe I'll show Relena the advantage of men."  
  
It came two seconds later: the bone-crunching blow against his spine. Trowa felt his breath heave out of his lungs and he bent over, not quite doubling. Coughing, he braced a hand on the wall and looked over to see Heero up, ramrod straight and trembling.  
  
"Got anything else to shit out, Barton?" Yuy growled.  
  
Trowa straightened up a bit. "That's more like it. Now that you're up, do you feel like taking a drive? Say, back to the palace and Relena?"  
  
Heero narrowed his eyes. "I'm having trouble believing it's Quatre who sent you to throw crap at me."  
  
"No, that's just me this time. Quatre doesn't work with Relena, Heero. He doesn't see her suffer like I do." And, Trowa added silently, he doesn't make up most of your hours. "She's suffering because of you, you ass."  
  
"I was an ass to her, yeah." Heero turned away. "So what the hell sense does it make for me to go back?"  
  
"It makes a damned lot of sense. You can't just hang this, Heero. The mess you're in is completely extraordinary. I don't know how the hell anyone can recover from this. Maybe you can't." Trowa's eyes sharpened. "But you should at least give it a fucking try."  
  
"What do you know?!" Heero bellowed. "You haven't ever been in love!"  
  
"Maybe not," Trowa said, voice deadly. "But that doesn't mean I didn't wish I was."  
  
The silence swayed over the two men. Both were soldiers, both had seen war and faced death, all so that they could protect people. People they loved.  
  
Trowa threw open the door. "Make a choice, Heero. Not everyone gets one, and you're lucky enough to. You can hide in here with your booze and your TV and your goddamned shame, but can you stay from your guilt? From your friends? They'll find you soon, like I did. And what then? Will you have left the coast by then? Will you even still care?" He stepped over the threshold, eyes gleaming meaningfully. "Think about it." He shut the door behind him.  
  
---  
  
Relena's hand was shaking. How odd. She usually was very good at controlling any sort of tremor while she was working on documents for work. She was always very good about work. As Vice Foreign Minister, she had to be.  
  
Gently setting down her black ink pen, she reached for the cup of sassafras tea beside her left arm. Strangely, the tea inside the cup was shaking too, rippling over and over. Relena supposed that was because of her hand. But it was hard to know. It was hard to know anything these days.  
  
She was fairly certain Damien would be coming to see her again here at the office before he left Sank again to make a run to the former Switzerland to check out a situation involving contaminated chocolate. She had originally been asked to do it, but as a gentleman, Damien had offered to do the work for her. She'd simply had to accept.  
  
Five minutes later, when Relena was just slipping a document on the Desmond vs. Fairfield trial back into its proper file, her office door opened without warning, and in swept Marita, her flowery perfume instantly filling the room.  
  
Relena had to make an effort to keep from groaning. "Hello, Mother," she murmured.  
  
"You're doing it again," shot Marita, sitting down primly in one of the chairs in front of Relena's desk. "All work, no rest. Rumor is you're doing three-a.m. most days now."  
  
"I could be," she said absently, trying to properly interpret the contract in front of her concerning trade embargos with L6. "My work ethic is at an all-time high lately."  
  
"Why is that, Relena? You were doing so well when Damien first got here. You know he's leaving tonight and I must say I was quite disappointed to learn you hadn't made any arrangement to meet with him one last time." Marita emphasized her point with a deep scowl.  
  
"Mother, it isn't as though Damien and I will never see each other again. Hopefully one day it'll be at his wedding with a beautiful redheaded woman with long legs."  
  
"Relena, this isn't a joke."  
  
"Well, Mother, I'm in a laughing mood."  
  
"Then you've gone mad," Marita snapped, voice hitching. "Either you go call Damien and go out to dinner with him tonight, or I'm going to do it for you."  
  
Relena's eyes shot up to look straight into Marita's. "Mother, I'm twenty- five. I have my own driver's license and my own driver. I don't need you to make arrangements for one so I can go out on one of your play-dates."  
  
"Play-dates!" Marita exclaimed. "I assist you in finding a bright, suitable young man and you mock your mother? How could you?"  
  
"I wouldn't have to," muttered Relena, "if you would stop 'assisting' me."  
  
Dropping her faked indignation, Marita made a fist, her fake red nails digging into her creasing palms. "Now, wait just one minute." Rising to her full height of five foot six, Marita walked directly up to her adoptive daughter's desk. "You, Relena Darlian, have absolutely no right to speak to me that way, after all I have ever done for you."  
  
"All you have ever done," Relena replied bluntly, "is tell me what you believe to be good for me. What escorts I should have, whom I should go to dinner with, what designer clothes to wear, etcetera! What honest use do those things have, Mother? The emptiness in all of them is idiotic! For instance, Damien and I are good friends. Best friends when it boils down to it. I love him and I enjoy being with him. But I can never be in love with him. We aren't compatible."  
  
"That's a lie," seethed Marita, "you're perfectly—"  
  
"And now that we're on the subject," Relena rolled on, ignoring Marita's spits of protest, "I don't want you to find me any escorts. Half the events I require escorts for, I don't want to go to! I don't want you to tell me that I should be going to dinner anymore, because at this time, I'm so busy with work that I can't take the time, career-wise, to do so. I chose my career, Mother. I chose it! I'm not going to play pretty little heiress for you! If you want Dad's money to get added on to, fine! YOU can get married!"  
  
When Relena finished, Marita was completely pale in every visible piece of flesh. Her lips were pressed so tightly together it was a wonder they didn't just snap off. Her eyes were wide enough to make her look like a shocked fish. But she didn't say anything. She didn't say a word.  
  
"And now," concluded Relena, "I would appreciate it very much if you would please exit my working space."  
  
Marita moved deftly, hand to her purse, body turn, feet walking to the door. Leaving the office silent as a ghost.  
  
And five seconds after she has disappeared, Darien strolled in, looking mildly confused. "Relena," he said gently, coming over to her. "I saw your mother in the hallway. She didn't say anything to me. Is everything—"  
  
She surprised him greatly by hurling herself against him and bursting into tears.  
  
---  
  
Duo Maxwell didn't pace. Pacing was cat-like, and as far as he was considered, cats were for girls. But damn it, when his best friend was missing and he had looked all over the better part of the world for him without a trace of hope, he was going to pace.  
  
Hilde was watching him from the couch. "Duo, do you want me to fix you a drink?" Sleeping tablets could do him wonders, she mused, concerned for her husband's health.  
  
Duo shook his head, braid swinging. "No, Hil. I need to go out again." Resolutely, he went for the door. "He could have hurt himself, ya know. He's not above it, Mr. Die-For-The-Forsaken-Mission. Pray for me, will ya, that he's not dead?"  
  
When he pulled open his front door and came face to face with the man in question, he frowned more darkly than he had in five years. "Jesus fucking God, Yuy, what the damned hell?"  
  
Heero didn't wait for an invitation and stepped inside. "I'm letting you know," he said bluntly as Duo kicked the door shut, "that I'm leaving."  
  
"Leaving?" Hilde rose from the couch and met him in the apartment's tiny kitchen. "Leaving for where, Heero?"  
  
"The Colonies."  
  
"Well, no kidding." Duo scratched his head. "You would choose the hardest place for us to find you in. Again. If you go back to Spain, send me a postcard."  
  
The sarcasm in Duo's voice put Heero more on edge. "I don't know what else to do," he told Duo with all the honesty he had. "And since this is all I have, I'm sticking with it." He held up a duffel back and tossed it to Hilde, who caught it with both hands. "Give that back to Sarah for me." He turned.  
  
"Hold on, hold on, hold on." Duo stopped Heero by setting a hand on the Japanese man's shoulder. "This is way too fast for me to keep up with. You're leaving. I get that. When?"  
  
"Whenever I want. It's bound for any Colony within the week." Heero started past him but Duo stood firm.  
  
"Then," the former God of Death suggested, "stay with me and Hilde. For one night, so you can put things in perspective one last time. Then say goodbye to the others. You'll hurt Quat's feelings if you don't, Wufei will be dishonored, and Trowa...uh..."  
  
"I don't have anything to say to Trowa."  
  
"Good news is, you don't have to. We're meeting to play basketball tomorrow. If you play on my team, you can guard Trowa. Elbows," Duo said conspiratorially, "are good weapons."  
  
Heero had the overwhelming urge to roll his eyes. "You can't stand there and pretend you don't know why I'm doing this."  
  
Duo went grim. "I know it. We all know it. But I want you to be sure, absolutely sure, that there's nothing else you can do. So stay, Heero. Think about it some more."  
  
Heero watched Duo's eyes, the striking violet of them that usually held laughter, and now only held worry. And he realized that, whether he liked it or not, Maxwell was right.  
  
"Fine," he said tersely. "After one game, I'm going."  
  
"Good!" exclaimed Duo. "Then you can bruise of Trowa for the first time in playing history."  
  
Hilde smile and hugged Heero. "I'll set you up on the couch. And I'll fix both of you a drink."  
  
--------------------------------------------  
  
Review please! 


	10. Sense

Guess what? SURPRISE! This is the last chapter! When I wrote chapter nine, I wasn't completely certain, but it turned out to be ten chapters dead even. Thank yous are at the end of this fic, but I'll say it here too: Thanks for reading, guys! Here's the end.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Behind Darkness' Mask Chapter 10

Relena was starting to think Marita was right; maybe she _had_ gone mad. Maybe, she pondered as she tapped her pen against her home desk in the Sank Kingdom palace, she had gone entirely insane and the Preventers would have to lock her up. She felt that way.

Leaning back in her chair, Relena threw down her pen. She also felt that if she didn't get away from her work and _do _something she would have a mental breakdown, if one weren't already in process. Because surely she was crazy to be thinking the way she was.

Regret. It was the top word of Relena's vocabulary right now. She regretted so many things of the last several weeks; letting Heero convince her to get away from work just so he could get rejected, going to Quatre and Sarah's party, dancing with the blasted man in black…falling in love with him…and it had been Heero! The entire time it had been! She regretted her curiosity, how she had allowed herself to be swept away by some bloody fake fairytale, and how she had succumbed to that fairytale.

It wasn't the regret that was making her crazy though. Oh no, it was just what Relena didn't regret. Because whereas she did cringe at how she had let alcohol influence her into seducing one who could have been a perfect stranger…now that she knew it had been Heero Yuy, the didn't feel so regretful.

Every time she came to that conclusion, the blood dropped out of her face and sort of rippled back to her heart, making it beat more furiously. It was so strange thinking that way. When Relena had thought about Heero, she'd always thought of how she didn't know him very well. How he had saved her life multiple times after coincidentally threatening to end it. Or how he had sworn to protect her despite claiming he didn't have anything to protect.

Or how he had looked so miserable when he'd walked away to leap over the wall in the garden.

Relena's teeth clamped together. What in God's name could she do? She was furious with Heero, absolutely raging! How dare he…how _dare _he trick her like that? What man had the gall to deceive a woman he supposed loved like that?!

And why, Relena wondered desperately, was it more hurtful than embarrassing? She'd never had any particular delusions about her first time having sex. She'd always just figured when it happened, it would happen. But she'd at least want to _remember _it.

That was where the regret came back. Damn alcohol. How different would things be if she had drank water instead of champagne? If she had kept her head on her shoulders? Would she still "love" that phony Prince of Darkness? Would Heero have revealed himself even if they hadn't…

"Shit," Relena murmured, too sunken into herself to hear the phone ring. When Pagan knocked on her door and came in a few minutes later, she forced herself to smile at him. "Yes, Pagan?"

The old butler wasn't fooled by his mistress's cheerful look, but chose to not comment on it. Whatever Relena felt like discussing with him, she would. What she didn't would remain private. "I'm sorry to bother you, madam. But you've a call from Master Quatre Raberba Winner."

"Oh." These damned Gundam pilots. Trowa had gotten a day off today and she had been hoping that she wouldn't have to deal with any of them for at least twenty-four hours. But she couldn't refuse Quatre, so she nodded and continued to smile. "Thank you, Pagan, I'll take it in here."

"Yes, ma'am." Bowing slightly, Pagan backed out of the room and closed the door, fretting for the princess.

Relena closed her eyes for a moment and took a breath, anticipating the look in the rich man's eyes before she turned on the vidcom on her desk. "Quatre."

"Relena." Sure enough, pity and apology both were set in the blonde's aqua-colored orbs. "How are you?"

"How are _you_?" she evaded with the smoothness that made her a good politician. "Is Sarah ready to burst yet?"

He smiled. "Any day now. And answer my question. How are you doing?"

All pretenses faded and Relena's brow knit. "You're a smart man, or so I've always figured."

"I'm that, yes." Quatre's smile remained, but now his eyebrows lowered in challenge. "Just like you're a smart woman. So you know I've called to ask you something."

Relena only folded her arms and tilted her chin upward to look down her nose as him. "Well?"

"I want you to come watch a basketball game with me."

The statement befuddled her for a moment, then Relena snorted. "What?"

"You heard me."

"What in God's name do you want me to go to a basketball game for? They don't even play a whole lot of that here in Sank."

"I know some guys who do," Quatre told her. "And they'd appreciate an audience. Besides, you've been working yourself too hard and frankly, I need to get away from my wife for a little while."

"Whatever grief she's causing you," Relena retorted, "you deserve every bit of it."

Quatre's mouth turned down. "I was trying to help a friend, Relena."

"By _lying _to me?" she countered angrily. "By making me believe in someone that never existed? If you wanted to help Heero, you could have introduced him to some women you know."

"I wasn't…" Quatre shook his head at her expression. "I can see you won't accept anything I tell you. Fine then. At least come with me, please. Loosen up. Both of us need to."

Relena pressed her lips together. Both of them being highly participating politicians, she had grown close to Quatre over the course of the last ten years. She had stood in the bridesmaid line at his wedding. She had even toasted him the night he had become Colony leader. She honestly liked spending time with the blond ex-Gundam pilot. But…

She sighed. "Not for long, Quatre."

Quatre grinned. "I'll pick you up in twenty minutes."

---

Relena was wishing she had changed her mind by the time Quatre had arrived in his casual green convertible. She'd changed into clothes more suitable for a basketball game; blue jean shorts and a slightly baggy sky-blue tank top. Her hair was pulled back into a simple high ponytail. Quatre himself wore plain khaki pants and a black polo shirt.

On the way, they talked about anything but politics – the weather, the latest show at the New Port theatre, last night's old movie marathon. Quatre even confessed that he wanted to name his child Dylan if it was a boy. Sarah was holding out for Gwendolyn for a girl.

Then they both slipped into companionable silence, or at least it was companionable until Relena remembered what she had only been able to stop thinking about for the last ten minutes.

"I never meant to upset you," Quatre said suddenly as he pulled into an unfamiliar parking lot.

"I know." Trying, Relena sent him a smile, one he returned. Then she looked at the building they had come to, or lack thereof.

There was only a line of outside basketball courts with point lines and boundaries painted onto blacktop. Several of the goal posts had been recently repainted, but the nets hadn't yet gotten replaced, and some of the posts only had a metal ring.

Relena frowned. What was…

And then she saw the four of them, dribbling and passing. Duo's braid swung, around his waist as he turned and bounced the ball between his legs as he whirled away from Wufei, whose teeth were clenched as he concentrated on trying to keep up with the former God of Death.

Trowa, her always-familiar bodyguard, had his eyebrows lowered as he kept his elbows close to his body and he knees bent and he walked backward to block off…

Relena gasped and pressed a hand to her heart, then turned to her companion accusingly. "Quatre!"

Quatre winced slightly but walked around the fender of his car and took her arm. With his ingrained knowledge of muscle resistance, he pulled on her hard enough to make her move, but not enough to cause any pain. "It won't be so bad. You're just watching them with me." He sat her down on a set of wooden bleachers with a rusty network of metal supports. Then he shot her a very straightforward look. "Don't run away."

Her blood boiled at the intended challenge. "Why would I?" she seethed, flicking glances at the Japanese man who had just managed to steal around Trowa. "I'm not at all afraid of him."

"Good." So saying, Quatre let go of her arm and leaned forward on his knees, smiling as Wufei cursed when Duo shot and scored two points. "They're getting better."

Relena blinked rapidly, not really knowing what to think. 01, 02, 03, and 05 hadn't noticed they had come yet apparently. They played on and on, challenging each other, sometime vocally taunting as they matched up to test skill and speed. Like…normal boys.

Men, she corrected herself. Blatantly competitive men. It wasn't a surprise Quatre wasn't playing as he had always tended to be naturally more closed. But the others had fought hard during a war, at time even enjoying it, and by the looks of things, hadn't completely stopped yet.

It was strange, to say the least, for Relena. To be able to watch them like that, as though none of them had ever in their life been soldiers. To be able to regard them as normal people than as the heroes she had always thought of them as even when no one else had. It felt awkward, a little amusing, and still pleasing to know they had all found some sort of comfort level.

Relena's eyes landed on Heero and remained there. He moved quickly, muscles bunching as he ran to snatch up a rebound from Wufei's missed shot, his biceps flexing as he backed up to check it with Trowa. But beyond the inevitably attractiveness of his body, it was his face that caught her full attention. It was still troubled, something that didn't surprise her, but it was nearly totally filled with emotion. The way his jaw was firmed showed determination, and in his eyes flared something that she was positive was satisfaction. Well, maybe half-satisfaction.

"Isn't it weird?" Quatre's voice said to her suddenly. He sounded loud, though he was speaking softly, and Relena had to jerk herself out of her mind and looked at him.

"What is?"

"Them looking like they do now." He shook his head slightly. "You saw them all in the war, just a few years ago. In one way or another, we were all haunted—still are somewhat. But now, after a decade of peace…" He chuckled a little. "Speaking for all of us; there's more. There's more to feel and to know for all of us. When we were soldiers, all we had was our missions and our goals and the things we wanted to protect. Now we have all of those, with a new mission and new goals…but more. So much more." Quatre smiled and set his hand on her shoulder. "You have that too now, don't you?"

Relena paused and thought. During the war, she'd had everything taken away from her and had slowly regained it. Her respect, her home, her life, her dreams. And now, more than that, she'd regained her family even. Milliardo and Noin and the upcoming niece or nephew she was to have within months had given her more joy than she had claimed to know as a youth. And now, despite all of the flaws and the heartache and the pain…when she looked at him… Relena lifted her head and once again focused on Yuy's precise gaze.

Something inside of her opened like a flower in sunlight. Because suddenly, resulting from almost nothing, everything made perfect sense.

From her brother and his wife she had family. From Quatre and others she had friendship. From Preventers and people like Trowa who risked their lives for her safety, she had dependability.

What _could _drive a man to near madness and force him to wear a ridiculous costume and fuel him to betray trust because of just one single hope? And, almost giddily, she knew it.

From Heero… Oh God, from Heero she had real love. Love that was something she had wanted…hadn't even truly believed she wanted for the longest time.

She had told Damien she didn't know Heero Yuy. What had that been but rambled words? What _didn't _she know about Heero Yuy? Perhaps she had no idea what he had spent his time doing these last so many years, but that was trivial. She knew, didn't she, that Heero was a respectable man. She knew he had courage and spirit and obvious caring. She knew – amazingly, she knew – he had love that he could give her and, more than that, _wanted _give her.

She pressed the back of her hand to her lips. Everything inside her trembled with an energy she could never begin to describe.

"Quatre," she murmured. "I…"

"TWENTY to EIGHTEEN!" Duo's always-loud voice suddenly yelled. "That's it, guys, you lose. Damn, Yuy, where the hell have you been? This is the first time in six months that I haven't gotten my ass kicked."

Heero pulled the collar of his green T-shirt up to wipe his forehead with it. "Don't let it get to your head," he advised gruffly. "I need to get a shower and get on my shuttle." He had decided it last night, in the darkness of Duo and Hilde's living room, at exactly three-twenty-seven in the morning. With him close to her, Relena would never be happy again. And even if it wasn't because of or for him, Heero wanted to see her smile.

When he turned to head to Duo's car, he stopped, suddenly forgetting his body temperature was skyrocketing as every inch of him went cold.

She sat next to Quatre, her posture perfect even though she was just sitting on a half-broken wood bleacher. Clean and dressed well, she made him think of things he had sworn he would forget. Like how he knew what she looked and felt like underneath the shorts and tank and what the neat waterfall of hair felt like when it was down and between his fingers.

Her name escaped him before he could even try to stop it.

"Relena…"

Why did her eyes have to be that way when she looked at him? Cool, refreshing even, from everything he had pitted himself against emotionally these last horrific days. He could still see her eyes, dark and dedicated to him when they had…

No. That moment, that night, wasn't his to cherish. She had practically demanded that back from him, and though he couldn't give back the time or the events, he had tried at least to give back the memory by forgetting it so that he couldn't even fall back on it in later years.

"Hey, princess!" Still annoying loud, Duo bounded over to the two blonds' observing place. "Whatcha think of the game? Me and Yuy whooped a—butt," he corrected himself, to Relena's hidden amusement.

"I think you did fine, Duo," she told him honestly.

Duo blinked and let his shoulders relaxed. He had kind of been expecting the cold shoulder treatment for his inclusion in the big charade they'd all played, but had been thrown off by her presence in the first place. Quatre always came to watch them play every month, but Relena hadn't even know about it, he'd been sure. What the hell was Quatre doing?

Well, pilot 04 was smiling in a way that wasn't the least bit forced, so Duo had to assume that his friend had some kind of card up his sleeve. Quatre was the most human of them all anyway.

Tossing a glance over his shoulder, he saw a very pissed Wufei glugging from a water bottle near the goal post. Trowa was leaning against the post, his arms crossed, watching them. When Relena looked at him, he inclined his head in acknowledgement.

Having always been blunt, Heero asked in sincere confusion, "Why are you here?"

Relena turned to him again, and folded her hand in front of her, not surprised to find them shaking. Looking up at his tightly drawn face, she shrugged. "I was invited to watch a basketball game." She shot a glance at Quatre, who only shifted his weight to another foot. "I need to get out of my office."

Heero nodded in plain comprehension. "And you agreed to come see us?"

"I didn't know it would be you," Relena told him, "although I suppose I should have. When are you all going to give up? What do I have to do?"

The pilots of Wing, Deathscythe, and Sandrock all tensed. Whatever maelstrom was in store for them, it hadn't been wholly unanticipated.

"Do I have to do this?" Confidently, Relena took two steps forward, lifted her hands to Heero lightly damp face, and fused her lips to his.

The basketball court fell utterly silent. Heero's eyes hadn't closed, unlike Relena's. He hadn't moved a millimeter. He just stood there, soundlessly shell-shocked. And she she pulled away, he remained the same.

Relena swung a pointed glance at Duo. "Well?"

Duo blinked a few times, then put his hands on his hips. "Goddamned time!" he whooped, then proceeded with a few catcalls that had Quatre grinning, Trowa smirking, and Wufei rolling his eyes.

In the thick of the cloud that had filled Heero muddled brain, he managed to forge a sentence, his voice deep as his mouth tingled in an uncustomary way. "I don't understand."

Relena smiled and kept her hand on his face. "I do. The day you came to me and I told you I'd never loved you… That wasn't a lie. I never, ever had. When I told the Prince of Darkness I loved him, that wasn't a lie either. I did love him. And then, after seeing you today, I figured it out." Her palms slipped down to his shoulders. "You are that prince. He's you; you're him. So, in a way, I love and don't love both of you. I don't love the deception you gave me, but I love the man who gave it." A rich laugh bubbled up from her. "I don't know for how long; maybe from the night you asked me to dance with you in your stupid black getup, but somehow…"

Heero didn't need her to finish. He got it now. "You do love me," he repeated, and she nodded. He didn't know how to react. For several seconds he simply stood staring at her.

"And if you still want to love me at all," Relena went on, "you'll forget that shuttle you were talking about and this time, you'll stay."

Heero continued to stare. But then he dropped the basketball he was still holding, and as it bounced-bounced-bounced away, he grabbed her and pressed her against him. Soon he felt something wet join the dried sweat on his shirt and he reached up to dash the tears from Relena's cheeks.

Slowly, he smiled. "I'll stay." A promise. Bending over, he made up for the kiss he hadn't responded to earlier.

As Duo's cheers died down and they broke away from each other, a ringing sound was heard and Quatre pulled out his cell phone and flipped it open. "Sarah?" he said. There was a pause, and then the Winner son's eyes widened.

"What do you MEAN you're going into labor?!"

While Quatre went into a small panic attack, Wufei and Trowa rushed over and a unanimous agreement was made as they all rushed to their cars. Heero's hand caught Relena's as the Vice Foreign Minister murmured soothingly to Quatre. When the three of them approached the convertible, Relena hurried Quatre into the back seat and tossed the keys to Heero.

"You drive," she explained. "On the way to the hospital, I'm going to tell you again that I love you."

------------------------------------------

That's the end! Thank you, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU, who has ever read this story, even if you haven't reviewed. But if you've reviewed, you get double thanks. This fic has been going since September 25, 2002 and now that it's done I feel so weightless. (Well, not weightless, I've got six more fics still in progress, haha.) But I certainly feel lighter!

Thanks again for all the great comments and criticism. I hope each of you will review one last time.

Love to all,

GG


End file.
